College of Visual and Performing Arts

At the Mason Community Arts Academy (MCAA), a normally quiet Saturday in March was filled with the sounds of drills humming and stairs creaking as Boy Scouts and parents moved about the building. Scouts from Troop 1865 were on site to work on an Eagle Scout project led by Robinson High School sophomore Brendan Williamson to upgrade the storage for the academy’s Instruments in the Attic (IiA) Program.

When Doug Varone and Dancers takes the stage at the Center for the Arts on April 25, it will mark a full circle moment for company member and George Mason University alumnus Dareon Blowe, who had participated in a residency with them as a student in the School of Dance.

We rely on a countless number of signs each day, whether we are driving, walking through a neighborhood, shopping at the grocery store, or going from building to building on campus. John Forgy, environmental graphic designer and sign program manager at George Mason University, creates the wayfinding systems that guide students, faculty, staff, and visitors across the university’s campuses and sites.

As a professor in George Mason’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, Paul So is a theoretical physicist who specializes in dynamical systems analysis and its application to neuroscience. Outside his role as a physics professor, So is an artist. An avid painter, he also supports developing artists as a co-founder of Hamiltonian Artists, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit art incubator based in Washington, D.C.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of George Mason University’s Veterans and the Arts Initiative—an important example of George Mason’s long-standing commitment to assisting military-connected learners as they embark on new paths following their service.

For this special "Best Of" episode, we've compiled some of our most thought-provoking and compelling conversations between President Washington and our accomplished faculty.

At the 2024 Best of Film at George Mason showcase, film and video studies major James Bah screened his music video, The Show, which he directed for rapper Bobby Feeno, also known as former NFL running back Arian Foster.

Death has been the constant companion in Steven Luu’s life—from war-torn Vietnam to the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. But through art, Luu, now an MFA student at George Mason University’s School of Art, has discovered peace, purpose, and a path to healing.

George Mason has a long history of supporting the arts on campus and in the community. With seven academic programs, seven galleries, six community arts programs, two major venues, and the digital venue Mason Arts Amplified, Mason Arts continues to create a thriving artistic community right here in Northern Virginia.

Dean Rick Davis of the College of Visual and Performing Arts shares the news of Bill Reeder's passing, and highlights Reeder's contributions and impact as the Founding Dean of the college.