“Black Mountain was not only a wartime refuge for artists and intellectuals fleeing the Nazis but was also a hotbed of progressive education where many renowned postwar cultural figures were formed.”
WSJ
Black Mountain College was a unique school in North Carolina that revolutionized arts education. Founded in 1933, it emphasized the importance of art in teaching observation, judgment, and action skills. The school had no grades, required courses, exams, or fees, and students and teachers lived and learned together. It attracted influential artists, composers, dancers, and poets, fostering collaboration and experimentation. The school became known for its groundbreaking performances, including the first happening, and for its innovative approaches to art and education. Although it closed in 1957, Black Mountain College left a lasting legacy of artistic freedom and collaboration.
Highlights
- 🎨 Black Mountain College revolutionized arts education in the 20th century.
- 🏫 The school had no grades, required courses, exams, or fees.
- 🌟 It attracted influential artists, composers, dancers, and poets.
- 🎭 Black Mountain College became known for groundbreaking performances, including the first happening.
- 💡 The school fostered collaboration and experimentation in the arts.
- 🚀 Black Mountain College left a lasting legacy of artistic freedom and collaboration.
- 🌍 The school taught that making art helps us gain a greater understanding of the world.
Black Mountain College (BMC) had a vibrant tradition of performance dating back to its early years when Xanti Schawinsky, a Bauhaus theatre designer, was hired to lead the Stage Studies course. During his two-year tenure, Schawinsky created two large-scale multimedia performances: SPECTODRAMA and Dance Macabre. These productions incorporated projections, music, abstract set pieces, and elaborate costumes designed to restrict the performers’ movements. The audience members were also required to wear masks, blurring the line between performer and spectator. Schawinsky viewed the stage as an environment for comprehensive and multi-sensory education, establishing performance as a crucial practice ground and experimental laboratory at BMC.
Black Mountain College Museum, is located in downtown Asheville
