Arts at Widener
Sophomores Michelle Callaghan and Robin Lavery, both members of Widener Chorale, perform for their fellow Resident Assistants at a staff dinner on Dec. 9, 2010. Video.
Listen to Dr. Mara Parker and Adjunct Professor Chris Emata play selections from J. S. Bach's Sonata No. 2 during a Faculty Recital at Honors Week 2010.
The arts are thriving at Widener.
Our community understands the educational value of creative human expression. While academic research continues to draw strong correlations between arts involvement and student achievement, we have seen first-hand that study and practice in the arts increases cognitive, social, and motivational skills in learners of all ages.
Members of the Widener community have opportunities to explore the arts either through coursework or by participating in the many cultural organizations both on campus and in the surrounding region. Student musicians contribute to Widener’s decades-old wind and jazz ensembles. Budding thespians hone their stage skills with either Theatre Widener or the Freshbaked Theatre Company. The painters, sculptors, and photographers among us regularly see their work displayed in group exhibitions at the Widener University Art Gallery, home of the collection of Chester industrialist Alfred O. DeShong.
Widener aspires to be the nation's preeminent metropolitan university recognized for an unparalleled academic environment, innovative approaches to learning, active scholarship, and the preparation of students for responsible citizenship in a global society.