Arts

Gifted Performers & Creators

In the gallery, the dance studios, the concert hall, the recital hall, and the flexible theatre, a rich and diverse arts season awaits you at Belhaven University.

View the Arts Calendar & Reserve Tickets

Support the Arts at Belhaven

Singing Christmas Tree

This annual event held during the first weekend in December. Started in 1933, the Belhaven Singing Christmas Tree is considered to be the world's oldest outdoor singing Christmas tree tradition. Members of the Belhaven Concert Choir, along with alumni, faculty, and staff, typically perform the outdoor Singing Christmas Tree concert on the first weekend in December. A large new 35 foot tall wooden and metal tree structure accommodates up to 100 singers.

Attend This Beloved Belhaven Tradition

1/3 Student Artists & Performers

One-third of Belhaven’s traditional undergraduate students participate in arts classes and events

Over 50 Arts Events Annually

Dance and music recitals, plays and musicals, film screenings, holiday concerts, and more

4 Art Galleries/Exhibitions

Belhaven’s student artists display their craft in modern, high-tech arts facilities in the heart of campus

"I chose to attend Belhaven because I wanted to surround myself with like-minded Christians who would build me up and help me in my walk with Christ. Because of my degree, I know that I will be well-prepared to take any job within the theatre world as well as many others outside of the theatre."

Ian Clarke

"I chose to come to Belhaven because I felt that God was leading me here. I knew that it was important to build a strong Christian foundation, especially when pursuing an arts degree. There were other schools with great Theatre departments, but Belhaven was a school that I could grow in my craft to a high degree while fostering and building upon the commitment I have to Christ. I feel that I will be prepared and equipped for whatever opportunities come my way in the future."

Dawson Broussard

"Belhaven is preparing me to share the gift of creativity through movement in a multitude of capacities. I can teach, perform, be involved in the technical and administrative aspects of production, as well as pursue further education in dance."

Demarcus Suggs

"I explore my love of nature through both photography and painting. My photographs focus on capturing the hidden and sometimes overlooked features of life. I also paint landscapes and mixed media collages incorporating organic and industrial materials found in every day life."

Haley Franklin

"I came to Belhaven because there is an energy here that is very different from any other liberal arts or Christian university. The people here value educating students to be excellent in their craft as well as their character. Because of my theatre degree from Belhaven, I feel it is possible to be a thriving professional in the arts without compromising my faith in Christ."

Jenna Kahley

"Belhaven is a place I call home. Because of my theatre degree from Belhaven, I will be able to understand, apply and explain all cylinders of work that go into making a play production."

CJ Riggs

"I will be able to do what I love, create stories and adventures that influence the world through literature."

Anna Howard

"There is always a friendly face and someone to be friends with. The opportunities to get connected on campus are plentiful, and I appreciate how genuine people are and how I am seen by my professors, classmates and friends."

Meagan Winter

"Because of my time at Belhaven, I am gaining knowledge and understanding necessary to make a good, dynamic film. I am also equipped to take something that I love doing and using it to explore the complexity of the world, shed light on the human condition, and show people the Gospel of Jesus."

William Bristow

"The community at Belhaven is amazing. The arts program at Belhaven is thriving. I do not think I would have the same opportunities if I had attended a different college."

Madeline Bennett

"I love the opportunity to get to learn and grow with your classmates in different environments, and the academic relationships you can have with your professors that you can't have on big campuses. I also love the diversity you can learn from and befriend while growing yourself."

Malia Logan

"I chose to come to Belhaven because of the excellence of the Creative Writing program. The warm, magnetic atmosphere of the campus reinforced my decision to make this place my home."

David Syrigos

"I'm excited to graduate with a B.F.A in Graphic Design and a B.A. in Music. I plan to pursue music education and freelance art and design work after graduating. My drawings and sculpture are built from layers of intuitive marks and forms."

Zacchaeus Cloy. 2023

"Through Belhaven, God has helped me to grow my gift in creative writing. He has also given me a heart for ministry and pushed me to places of leadership while emphatically sharing his truth."

Ellie Brooker

"I will graduate with a B.F.A. in Visual Art with an emphasis in painting. I began drawing at a very early age and was encouraged by my family and my love of Impressionists painters. I'm intrigued by the effects of color and light, and include Impressionist techniques in my work. I appreciate all the experiences I've had at Belhaven and hope to make art more accessible to all interested students in the future."

Trevor Thomas

"Our art department is extremely beneficial for my personal mindset, career goals and my future career. My professors are patient with me as I build my self-confidence as an artist. Since coming to Belhaven, I know that these are some of the best years of my life. I have already made lifelong connections here."

Ollie Porter

"I chose Belhaven because I wanted to attend a school that had both Visual Arts and Biblical Studies. After meeting the faculty and seeing how much they cared about every student, I was sold!"

Megan Prosper

"Because of my degree from Belhaven University I have made many connections both personally and professionally in the dance field which will direct next steps and allow for collaboration in the future. It has been an honor to work closely with so many professional artists and gain wisdom from those who have gone before me."

Victoria Tomes

"I will have gained the experience in writing that is needed to create good pieces of literature and have the opportunity to be recognized in the literary world."

Anna Lopes

"The Art Department at Belhaven is like no other department I’ve seen. The professors truly love what they teach and actively practice in their own art processes. My favorite part about this department is the community student studios! Having the freedom to see what other classmates are working on is an inspiration and a learning tool to better understanding what art is."

Melissa Gentry

Bitsy Irby Visual Arts & Dance Center

The 42,756-square-foot Bitsy Irby Visual Arts & Dance Center is a best-in-class facility featuring five professional dance studios, a fully equipped dance performance theatre, computer design labs, photography studios and darkroom, painting, drawing and sculpture studios, faculty offices, and a beautiful art gallery.

Angie Thomas ’11, Creative Writing

Award-winning author Angie Thomas earned her BFA in creative writing from Belhaven University. Her first published novel, The Hate U Give, started as her senior project. It debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and was adapted into a critically acclaimed film. 

Belhaven Creative Writing on Facebook

After Kris earned his bachelor’s degree from Belhaven, he apprenticed under the famous artist Thomas Blackshear. He’s now an award-winning art director with Penguin Random House, one of the world’s largest publishing houses. Kris and his wife Cheri were co-winners of the 2022 Belhaven Alumni Award for Arts Excellence.

Belhaven Art & Design on Facebook

A Magna Cum Laude graduate at Belhaven, Cheri performs with the Ormao Dance Company and teaches dance in Colorado Springs. In addition, she shares her passion with dance students at the University of Colorado and Ormao’s Dance for Parkinson’s program. Cheri and her husband Kris were co-winners of the 2022 Belhaven Alumni Award for Arts Excellence.

Belhaven Dance on Facebook

Shellie, a principal violinist with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, was appointed as Acting Concertmaster for the 2021-2022 season following nationwide auditions.

Belhaven Music on Facebook

Alberto works in sound design, video production and editing, and live event streaming at NewStage Theatre, Mississippi's only professional/regional theatre.

Creative Writing

Traditional/Digital

Dance

Music

Theatre

Visual Arts

Film Production

Graphic Design

Creative Writing

Traditional/Digital

Dance

Music

The Center for the Arts

The Center for the Arts — home to Belhaven’s music and theatre departments — features piano and computer labs, soundproof practice rooms, a flexible black box theatre, costuming and technical design areas, and numerous teaching studios, classrooms, faculty offices, and performance spaces.

The 800-seat concert hall holds weekly chapel services as well as numerous performances throughout the year.

Academic Degrees: The Scholarly Approach to the Arts

Art + Design

Creative Writing

Dance

Film Production

Music

Theatre

1 of 39 colleges accredited in all of the arts

National Distinction

Belhaven University is one of only 39 colleges or universities in the U.S. nationally accredited in all four major areas of the arts: Visual Arts, Dance, Theatre, and Music.