The Lenfest Center for the Arts, home of the Department of Theater, Dance and Film Studies, Department of Music and the Department of Art and Art History, is a multi-use facility designed and equipped to accommodate a broad spectrum of the performing arts, including theater, musical theater, opera and operetta, choral and band music, dance and performance art in one energizing complex.
The original building, now known as Gerry and Marguerite Lenfest Hall, features two theaters, the Keller Theatre and the Johnson Theatre, and also houses teaching classrooms, faculty offices, and theatrical support facilities such as the scene shop, the costume shop and modest storage.
John and Anne Wilson Hall, named for former Washington and Lee president John D. Wilson and his wife Anne, is the most recent gem in the University’s crown of the arts. Housing the departments of Music and Art, Wilson Hall also contains a 300-seat state of the art Concert Hall which plays host not only to the University’s many student, faculty, and ensemble groups, but also world renowned concert artists. The Staniar Art Gallery is also an excellent venue for the works of student, faculty and professional artists.
H.F. (Gerry) and Marguerite Lenfest of Huntington Valley, Pennsylvania were the principal patrons of the facility. Mr. Lenfest was a 1953 graduate of Washington and Lee.
MISSION
The mission of the Lenfest Center for the Arts at Washington and Lee University is to enrich the education of our students and the surrounding community through a dynamic engagement with the arts, helping them to gain new perspectives on their relationships with their neighbors and their place in the world.
VISION
We are committed to fostering a dynamic educational environment where the arts can coexist, thrive and collaborate. By bringing in student, professional, and community groups into our venues and working with them to enhance their productions, we hope to create long-term patrons of the arts informed global citizens.
VALUES
Through artistic exploration and expression, we empower our students to make meaningful contributions to their communities and the broader world. We believe that exposure to and participation in the arts is essential to developing well-rounded individuals. Aligned with the mission of Washington and Lee University, the Lenfest Center strives to cultivate an appreciation for the arts that encourages students to think freely, critically, and humanely.
GOALS
Our goals include, integrating arts management, technology and professional arts groups into our curriculum offers unique, hands-on experiences that enhance our students' academic pursuits, creative expressions and ultimately make them better aware and informed citizens.
