The Arts have long served as the beating heart of curiosity and creativity for Wake Forest’s interdisciplinary model of education. We are excited to present the Wake the Arts movement as a way to not only sustain our culture of expression and exploration, but to propel our efforts in recruiting students and faculty while empowering the vision of our departmental leaders.

Now is a time of great momentum for the Arts at Wake Forest. Cross-curricular innovation is inspiring new opportunities for engagement and our alumni and parent communities are renewing their commitment to this critical element of our educational model. This comprehensive initiative will infuse new energy and support around what has long been a point of pride and distinction for the entire University community. 

Make A Gift

Make a gift today and support the power of the Arts at Wake Forest.

Contact

To learn more about how you can support this powerful movement, contact Beth McAlhany.


Giving Opportunities and Priorities

If you are interested in making a restricted or endowed gift, below are our current areas of priority. We will work with you to establish a fund in line with your interests and values.

student sculpting

Student Support

Wake Forest students thrive when there are powerful connections across their academic disciplines. Our Presidential Scholarship program strives to attract and award scholarship support for talented students who will enliven and enrich our community.

piano lessonDepartmental Support

Our faculty and staff at Wake Forest are here because they have not only shown expert proficiency within their respective media, but also because of their status as visionary change leaders through cross-curricular innovation throughout their academic experiences.

theaterVisionary Projects

Projects that can dramatically enhance the impact of our student experience are the hallmark of a highly talented faculty and staff. A critical goal of Wake the Arts initiative is to secure funding for these visionary projects to come to fruition.


Professors James Dodding and Thane McDonald

The show must go on! Alumni share in the applause.

Alumni gifts are funding endowments for the Thane McDonald Wake Forest Choir Tour Fund and the James Dodding Theatre Scholarship, part of the Wake the Arts initiative to increase support for the arts.

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Lainey Drake

Wake Forest sophomore named Brooke Owens Fellow

As the oldest of four siblings, Lainey Drake takes credit for leading the astronaut games they played as children – swinging into space on their tire swing and dashing around galactic obstacles in the universe. This summer, thanks to the Brooke Owens Fellowship, Drake will help pioneer commercial space travel as an engineering intern at Virgin Galactic. She is one of 40 women to earn the opportunity.

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Alex Acquavella

Arts Experiences to Last a Lifetime

Alex Acquavella (’03) grew up immersed in the New York art scene. His family has operated Acquavella Galleries, which specializes in impressionist, modern and contemporary art, since his Italian immigrant grandfather opened the gallery in the 1920s. When Acquavella came to Wake Forest, he assumed, correctly, that one day he’d join his father, sister and brother in the family art gallery on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

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