About ACAPA

On this page: At a Glance Mission & Values Founding Story History by Decade Leadership Campus & Facilities Enrollment & Accreditation Quick Links

At a Glance

Full NameAmerican College of Arts and Performing Arts (ACAPA)
TypePrivate, nonprofit conservatory-style college
Founded1947
LocationEastbridge, Vermont 05401
MottoArs et Anima (Art and Soul)
PresidentDr. Evelyn Marsh
ProvostDr. Thomas Aldridge
Dean of AcademicsDr. Marcus Webb
Campus42 acres, Eastbridge, Vermont
Undergraduate Enrollment~1,200
Graduate Enrollment~180
AccreditationNew England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE); National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)
ColorsGarnet and Slate
AffiliationNonsectarian, independent

Mission Statement & Values

ACAPA’s mission is to educate artists of exceptional promise through rigorous conservatory training integrated with a broad humanistic curriculum. We prepare students not only to practice their art with technical mastery, but to think critically, collaborate generously, and contribute meaningfully to the cultural life of their communities and the world.

“Art is not a luxury. It is the means by which a civilization understands itself. At ACAPA, we believe the artist’s formation is inseparable from the formation of the whole person.”
— From the ACAPA Statement of Purpose, 1947

The College is guided by five core values:

Founding Story

ACAPA was chartered on September 4, 1947, by a group of eleven artists, educators, and civic leaders who had gathered in Eastbridge, Vermont, in the months following the end of World War II. The war had brought into sharp focus for this group the fragility of culture and the vital necessity of the arts as a counterweight to destruction and despair.

The principal founder, Harriet Lowell Crandall (1901–1983), was a painter and former faculty member at the Art Students League in New York. She had returned to her native Vermont in 1944 and was struck by how little formal arts education existed in the rural Northeast for students of serious promise. Crandall assembled a coalition that included conductor Frederick Morrow, playwright and essayist Gilbert Hargrove, and Eastbridge alderman and philanthropist George Hartwell, who donated the first 18 acres of farmland on the eastern bluff above the Aldine River that would become ACAPA’s campus.

The College enrolled its first class of 34 students in the autumn of 1948 across three departments: Painting & Drawing, Music Performance, and Theater Arts. Classes were held partly in the renovated Hargrove barn, now the site of the Hargrove Pavilion. Tuition in that first year was $180 per semester.

Crandall served as the College’s first president from 1947 until her retirement in 1968, overseeing ACAPA’s early growth and establishing its identity as a place where rigorous training was inseparable from humanistic inquiry. The Crandall Cinema, completed in 1971, was named in her honor.

History by Decade

1940s Charter granted September 4, 1947. Founding president Harriet Lowell Crandall leads inaugural class of 34 students in fall 1948. Initial departments: Painting & Drawing, Music Performance, and Theater Arts. George Hartwell donates 18 founding acres. First faculty of seven artist-teachers appointed.
1950s Enrollment grows to 120 by 1953. Department of Dance established 1951. First baccalaureate degrees conferred 1952. Hargrove Hall (general classroom building) constructed 1955. ACAPA joins the New England Consortium of Independent Arts Colleges 1957. The College gains initial regional accreditation 1958.
1960s Film Studies introduced as a concentration under Theater Arts 1962, later becoming an independent department. Morrow Gallery opens 1964, named for co-founder Frederick Morrow. Campus expands to 30 acres through bequest from the Hartwell estate 1966. First graduate program (MFA in Studio Art) approved 1968. President Crandall retires; Dr. Arthur Fenwick appointed second president.
1970s Crandall Cinema dedicated 1971 in honor of founder Harriet Crandall. Department of Creative Writing established 1973. Hartwell Library (the main library) opens in new purpose-built facility 1975, replacing the original reading room. ACAPA enrolls first international students 1976. MFA in Music Composition approved 1978. Enrollment reaches 600.
1980s Hargrove Pavilion—the performing arts and rehearsal center—completed on the site of the original founders’ barn, 1982. Photography and Digital Media program established 1985. First endowed faculty chair created through gift of the Aldine Foundation 1986. National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) accreditation awarded 1988. President Fenwick retires 1989; Dr. Carolyn Tate becomes third president.
1990s Campus grows to current 42 acres 1991. MFA in Theater Direction launched 1992. ACAPA establishes its Center for Arts and Community Engagement 1994. First Eastbridge Arts Festival co-hosted with the town 1996. Renovation of Morrow Gallery doubles exhibition capacity 1998. Enrollment exceeds 900 undergraduates.
2000s MFA in Film and Media Studies established 2001. Digital recording studio “Studio One” opens in the Hargrove Pavilion 2003. New residence hall, Aldine House, completed 2005. Department of Arts Administration and Policy created 2007. ACAPA launches the annual Visiting Artists Series 2008, bringing nationally recognized practitioners to campus each semester.
2010s Hartwell Library undergoes major renovation and expansion 2012. New outdoor performance amphitheater constructed on the south lawn 2013. President Tate retires 2014; Dr. Evelyn Marsh appointed fourth and current president. MFA in Dance Choreography approved 2016. ACAPA launches need-blind admissions policy 2017. Total enrollment surpasses 1,300. Department of Arts Technology and Interaction Design established 2019.
2020s College navigates pandemic-era disruptions with hybrid instruction and outdoor performance season 2020–2021. 75th anniversary celebrated with the Ars et Anima retrospective exhibition in the Morrow Gallery 2022. New strategic plan, “ACAPA 2030,” adopted 2023, emphasizing sustainability, interdisciplinary curricula, and expanded financial aid. Dr. Marcus Webb appointed Dean of Academics 2023.

Current Leadership

Title Name Background
President Dr. Evelyn Marsh Appointed 2014. Former Dean of Fine Arts at Whitmore University. Holds a Ph.D. in Art History from Yale University. Specializes in arts policy and institutional development. Under her leadership ACAPA adopted need-blind admissions and launched the ACAPA 2030 strategic plan.
Provost Dr. Thomas Aldridge Appointed 2018. Formerly Associate Provost at the Boston Conservatory. Oversees curriculum, faculty affairs, and academic policy. Holds a D.M.A. in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Michigan.
Dean of Academics Dr. Marcus Webb Appointed 2023. Composer and musicologist. Former chair of the Music Theory and Composition department at ACAPA (2011–2023). Holds a Ph.D. in Music Theory from Columbia University. His scholarly work focuses on 20th-century American music and interdisciplinary composition.
Dean of Admissions Sandra Pelletier Joined ACAPA 2009. Oversees all undergraduate and graduate admissions, financial aid coordination, and enrollment management.
Dean of Student Life Carlos Reyes Joined ACAPA 2016. Oversees residential life, student organizations, counseling services, and community standards.
Chief Financial Officer Anne-Marie Guillot Joined ACAPA 2010. Oversees institutional finance, endowment management, and facilities planning.
Director, Morrow Gallery Nadia Kowalski Appointed 2019. Curator and art historian. Oversees the College’s permanent collection and exhibition programming.
Director, Hartwell Library James Okafor Appointed 2015. Oversees library services, digital archives, and the special collections in performing arts history.

For a full directory of faculty and administrative staff, see Faculty & Staff.

Campus & Facilities

ACAPA’s 42-acre campus sits on the eastern bluff above the Aldine River in Eastbridge, Vermont. The campus retains much of its original New England character, with a mix of historic brick and clapboard buildings and contemporary arts facilities integrated into a landscape of mature maples, hemlocks, and open lawns. Eastbridge (pop. ~14,000) is a small college town in central Vermont, approximately 35 miles southeast of Montpelier.

Major Facilities

Hargrove Pavilion The primary performing arts center, completed 1982 on the site of the original founders’ barn. Contains the 480-seat Hargrove Concert Hall, two black box theater spaces, rehearsal studios, dance studios, and “Studio One,” ACAPA’s professional digital recording facility. Named for co-founder Gilbert Hargrove.
Morrow Gallery Opened 1964; expanded 1998. ACAPA’s primary exhibition space, housing both the College’s permanent collection (approximately 1,400 works) and a rotating schedule of student, faculty, and visiting artist exhibitions. Named for co-founder and conductor Frederick Morrow. The Gallery presents 8–10 major exhibitions per academic year.
Crandall Cinema Dedicated 1971 in honor of founder Harriet Lowell Crandall. A 220-seat screening facility equipped for 35mm, 16mm, and digital projection, used by the Film and Media Studies department for classes, student screenings, and the annual ACAPA Student Film Festival. A second 60-seat screening room was added in 2004.
Hartwell Library Opened 1975; renovated and expanded 2012. ACAPA’s main library, holding approximately 180,000 physical volumes, 40,000 digital journals, and extensive special collections in performing arts history, scores, scripts, and artist archives. Named for founding benefactor George Hartwell. Open to students, faculty, and qualified community researchers.
Hargrove Hall General academic classroom building (1955). Houses seminar rooms, faculty offices, the Writing Center, and the Office of Academic Affairs.
Aldine House Residence hall completed 2005. Houses approximately 180 students. Named for the Aldine Foundation, a longtime benefactor of the College.
South Lawn Amphitheater Outdoor performance space (2013), seating 350. Used for spring and summer performances, commencement, and community events.
Visual Arts Building Purpose-built studios for painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and digital media. Houses the Digital Media Lab and the print and darkroom facilities.

For a complete map and facility descriptions, see Campus Map & Facilities.

Enrollment & Accreditation

Undergraduate Enrollment~1,200 (current academic year)
Graduate Enrollment~180 (MFA programs)
Total Enrollment~1,380
Student-to-Faculty Ratio9:1
States Represented44
Countries Represented28
Students Receiving Aid~71%
Regional AccreditationNew England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
Arts AccreditationNational Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD); National Association of Schools of Music (NASM); National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST)

Degrees Offered