Introduction

The history of arts education at Howard University begins as early as 1871 when John A. Cole, then the financial agent for the University, declared in his report to the Board of Trustees that "music, drawing and other accomplishments should be within the reach of all." The fact that this principle was placed in the record by its budget officer before the University celebrated its tenth birthday is highly significant for it documents the    importance of the arts and the acknowledgment of the necessity for funding arts education early on in the development of the institution. Throughout the years which followed, the departments which were later incorporated into an autonomous arts unit were diligent in their service to the University, to academe, and to the community. They provided a haven for artist-scholars who were encouraged to nurture their talents while sustaining themselves and their families; prepared thousands of gifted students for careers in the arts; and enriched the lives of thousands more by guiding them in the exploration of the products of man's creative impulses. For the better part of a century, they served as community art centers for those who were unwelcome in the major galleries, theatres and concert halls of Washington, D.C., and through example, provided leadership for predominantly black institutions which were often unsure of the appropriate role of the arts in higher education. While still scattered among other units in the University, the departments of the College of Fine Arts earned a list of honors for Howard University and created an important chapter in the chronicle of African-American arts and artists in the United States. For example, between the two world wars, the Department of Art assembled a collection, totally unique in 1929, which toured the South and formed the nucleus of the first Howard University Gallery of Art in the lower level of Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel. During the 1930's and 1940's, the Department of Music assumed leadership in the field of collegiate opera by producing works from the standard repertory for performance at the nearby Howard Theater. In later decades, the Howard Players represented the University with distinction on their tour of Scandinavia.

Today, the Division of Fine Arts occupies Childers Hall, a four-level structure which houses the Gallery of Art, Ira Aldridge Theater, a recital hall, a band/orchestra rehearsal facility and a network of classrooms, art studios,  dressing rooms, offices and sixty music practice studios. The Sculpture Annex is within easy walking distance of the main building. The Division is comprised of the Department of Art, the Department of Theatre Arts, the Department of Music, and the Office of University Choirs and Bands. Each of the instructional components is affiliated with the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification and accredited by the appropriate professional association (National Association of Schools of Art and Design, National Association of Schools of Theatre, and the National Association of Schools of Music). The major assets of the Division are a prestigious history; a corps of competent, energetic faculty members who are firmly committed to teaching, learning, research and creativity; talented students; and distinguished alumni, many of whom are internationally recognized for their achievements in the arts.