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Tuesday 10am - 4pm Wednesday 10am - 4pm Thursday 10am - 7pm Friday 10am - 4pm

WCU Bardo Arts Center

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WCU Bardo Arts Center

Bardo Arts Center enriches the vibrant artistic and cultural legacy of Western North Carolina.

Bardo Arts Center enriches the vibrant artistic and cultural legacy of the Western North Carolina region. Through fine and performing arts programming, Bardo Arts Center serves the campus and community by increases engagement with, access to, and appreciation of the arts.

05/21/2026

That’s a wrap on the 2025–2026 season at the Bardo Arts Center!

Thank you to every audience member, artist, student, volunteer, donor, and community supporter who joined us for performances, exhibitions, screenings, and special events this semester. Your support helps make the arts thrive at WCU and in our region, and we are so grateful you chose to spend your season with us.

We can’t wait to welcome you back to Bardo this fall! ✨

05/19/2026

Bardo Arts Center is grateful to Franklin residents William Banks Hinshaw and Robin Markle Hinshaw for their generous donation of 18 artworks and artifacts to the collections of the WCU Fine Art Museum, Mountain Heritage Center, and Tali Tsisgwayahi Archaeological Collections and Curation Facility. Their gift strengthens WCU’s ability to share a broader understanding of contemporary American and Latin American art with students and community audiences while supporting the preservation of these important works. Learn more about the Hinshaws' donation at arts.wcu.edu/hinshaws.

Two works from the donation are currently featured in the WCU Fine Art Museum’s “20th Anniversary Exhibition,” on view through July 2 at the Bardo Arts Center: Composition, a 1961 color lithograph by Cuban artist Wifredo Lam, and an untitled black ink and colored ink work on paper by Cuban artist Raúl Milián. Museum hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 AM–4 PM and Thursday from 10 AM–7 PM. Learn more at arts.wcu.edu/20-anniversary.

Image courtesy of WCU Photo Services.

05/13/2026

A little belated, but no less heartfelt — congratulations to the WCU Class of 2026! 🎓

We especially want to recognize our amazing Bardo Arts Center student workers Nikki Cox, Kyler Stevenson, and Maddy Blankenship. Thank you for all the hard work, creativity, and care you brought to BAC this year. From performances and exhibitions to the behind-the-scenes moments that keep everything running, you made a lasting impact on our team and community.

We are so proud of you and excited to see what comes next. 💜

04/30/2026

Don’t forget the MFA Thesis Exhibition 2026 closes tomorrow, May 1. Don’t miss out on seeing talented students!

04/21/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the North Carolina Symphony performance and the MFA Thesis Exhibition 2026 Reception. It has been a meaningful month celebrating both world-class artistry and the incredible work of the School of Art and Design graduating MFA students.

We’re grateful to share these moments with our community!

04/20/2026

Join us in congratulating Davy Arch on being named a Beloved Man of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians—one of the Tribe’s highest honors.

Davy is a featured artist in the Cherokee Language and Culture Exhibition at Bardo Arts Center and has exhibited and presented his teachings with the Mountain Heritage Center. His work as an artist, storyteller, and educator continues to shape and strengthen our community.

We’re proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition.

04/15/2026

A few seats just opened up 👀

If you missed your chance to grab tickets for tomorrow’s North Carolina Symphony: Classical Favorites Celebrating America 250, now’s the moment. A limited number of tickets are available again—but they won’t last long.

This is a free event, but tickets are required for entry.

Grab yours: arts.wcu.edu/tickets

04/06/2026

The 2026 MFA Thesis Exhibition opens Tuesday, April 7 at the Bardo Arts Center!

This annual exhibition showcases the culminating work of Western Carolina University’s Master of Fine Arts candidates: Holly Hill, Lynne M. Hudson, Reese Seigfried, Brooklin Routt, and Remi Roce. Featuring a dynamic range of concepts, materials, and approaches, each work represents months of research, experimentation, and creative development.

Join us for a public reception on Thursday, April 9 from 5–7 PM, where you can meet the artists and hear more about their work.

📍 WCU Fine Art Museum at Bardo Arts Center
🗓 Exhibition opens April 7
🎉 Reception: April 9, 5–7 PM
🎟 Free and open to the public

Image credit: 1. “Ballast” by Holly Hill, 2. “Intervallum III” by Lynne M. Hudson 3. “Aren’t you just precious?” by Reese Seigfried, 4. “Despite/In spite of” by Brooklin Routt 5. “Searching for Home” by Remi Roce

04/03/2026

WCU Bardo Arts Center, including the WCU Fine Art Museum, FAM Shop, and BAC Performance Hall, will be closed from Friday, April 3, 2026, through Sunday, April 5, 2026. If you have any questions or concerns, please get in touch with [email protected].

Thank you! Bardo Arts Center Staff

Image courtesy of WCU Photo Services.

04/01/2026

Well… you asked for more live performances at Bardo 👀🦇

Introducing Bardie — the BAC Bat (yes, that bat).

In honor of our unexpected February guest during DRUM TAO, we’re celebrating April Fools’ with a limited-edition sticker you can pick up at the wCU Fine Art Museum’s front desk.

No tickets required. No aerial choreography scheduled (we hope).

👉 Grab yours while they last at the WCU Fine Art Museum

Address

199 Centennial Drive
Cullowhee, NC
28723

Opening Hours

Tuesday	10am - 4pm
Wednesday	10am - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 7pm
Friday	10am - 4pm

Website

https://www.wcu.edu/bardo-arts-center/

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