2025-2026 Season Schedule
Presented by the McCall School of Visual & Performing Arts
Heart the Arts in Hartsville
2025-2026 Performing arts schedule
Fall 2025
Art Exhibition: Adrian Rhodes “Everything Stays” – Aug. 25-Sept. 19, Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery; Free
Closing Reception for Art Exhibition: Adrian Rhodes – Sept. 19, noon, Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery; Free
Installation artist Adrian Rhodes creates spaces of shared empathy with optically bold and delicately crafted work that references familial relationships, generational trauma, and the matrilineal using a varied lexicon of symbolic visual iconography. Rhodes employs a wide-ranging multidisciplinary studio practice that explores printmaking, painting, fibers, and sculpture pieces, which combine to fill gallery spaces from floor to ceiling with images of birds, midwifery scissors, paper airplanes, and pomegranates.
Standard Practice – Sept. 12-13 at 7 p.m., Music Recital Hall; Free
Standard Practice Musical Theatre Showcase features student performers singing solos and duets from a variety of musicals, including South Pacific, Into the Woods, Oklahoma!, Les Misérables, and more. Free.
Art Exhibition: Jim Arendt “Eighty-Sixed” – Sept. 22-Oct. 17, Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery; Free
Closing Reception for Art Exhibition: Jim Arendt – Oct. 17, noon, Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery; Free
Fiber artist and sculptor Jim Arendt extends his reverence for American laborers with a group of works commemorating their resilience and unsung service to society. Arendt draws from his working-class upbringing and crafts thoughtful portrait works at a human scale, carefully sewing together their likenesses using strips of worn denim workwear to construct individual narratives. The artist also repurposes decommissioned highway construction signs that display short glowing messages referencing the struggles of contemporary workers and economics.
Fall Choral Concert – Oct. 5 at 4 p.m., Kalmia Gardens; Free
Join the Coker Singers and the new Coker Contemporary Chorus for a special outdoor concert at Kalmia Gardens, directed by Dr. Kevin Crowe. Amidst the historic beauty of the Hart family’s home, the singers will perform songs of nature and the seasons in a variety of styles. Featuring works from the Renaissance, 19th-century Romanticism, 20th-century gospel, Broadway, and more, this concert has something for everyone. End your Homecoming week with the choirs of Coker University! Free.
Band Masterworks Concert – Oct. 8 at 7 p.m., Watson Theater; Free
The Coker University Concert Band, made up of students and community members, will perform a variety of band classics by composers Robert Smith, Kevin Day, Julie Giroux, Percy Grainger, and more! Directed by Deron Jimmerson. Free.
Art Exhibition: Yvette Cummings: “Ecstasis And Absence” – Oct. 20-Nov. 14, Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery; Free
Closing Reception for Art Exhibition: Yvette Cummings – Nov. 14 at noon; Free
Yvette Cummings’ “Ecstasis And Absence” is a collection of paintings and furniture-based sculpture pieces that convey the complexity of bodily self-perception as it is formed through lived experiences, emotional and physical biases, violations, and regulations. Cummings’s work acknowledges layers of trauma, transformation, and emotion in a format of images that evoke familiar scenes, uncomfortable encounters, and psychological reckoning. Cummings is a master painter and storyteller who uses the seduction of her skill to expose the hidden wounds and pain that others carry internally.
Student Choreography Showcase – Nov. 6 & 7 at 7 p.m., Nov. 8 at 2 p.m., Watson Theater; Free
The Student Choreography Showcase features choreography and performances by students in the Coker Dance Program. Students explore universal themes of mental health, community, love, communication, and technology through various styles of dance, including contemporary, jazz, and hip hop dance.
53rd Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition – Nov. 17-Dec. 18, Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery; Free
Opening Reception for Art Exhibition: 53rd Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition, Nov. 17, 4 p.m., Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery; Free
Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery presents the work of currently enrolled Coker University art students in the 53rd Annual Student Art Competition. Professional gallery artist Yvette Cummings adjudicates this year’s exhibition and reflects the best work of Coker University’s talented visual art students.
Opera Workshop – Nov. 21 at 7 p.m., Nov. 22 at 2 p.m., Drengaelan; Free
Join Coker’s Opera Workshop as they present scenes from opera favorites! Led by Dr. Elizabeth Holmes and Dr. Graham Wood, the scenes are staged in the intimate Drengaelen House. Plan to stay afterward for themed refreshments and mingle with the cast. Free.
Holiday Extravaganza, with Coker Singers – Dec. 1 at 7 p.m., Watson Theatre; Free
The Coker Concert Band, Coker Singers, and Coker Contemporary Chorus are joining for an evening of music, festivity, and community. This concert will begin with the Coker choirs in St. Bartholomew Episcopal Church, and after a brief intermission and reception, the concert will continue in Watson Theater with the Coker Concert Band. We’ll have combined music, audience singalongs, and even some special holiday treats! Make this new tradition a part of your family’s holiday season this year. This event is free thanks to a generous donation from St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church
Informal Dance Concert – Dec. 3 at 7 p.m., Watson Theater; Free
The Informal Dance Concert features performances by students enrolled in dance courses as well as student and faculty choreography. A variety of dance styles will be presented, including modern, jazz, musical theatre, contemporary, and hip hop.
Coker Community Music Program Fall Recital – Dec. 4 at 5 p.m., Music Recital Hall; Free
Come celebrate the end of the fall semester with Coker Community Music Program students, who will showcase their talents and artistic growth in this special recital for family, friends, and the community. Free.
Spring 2026
53rd Annual Art Faculty and Staff Exhibition – Jan. 6-16, Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery; Free
Closing Reception, Jan. 16, 12 p.m., Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery; Free
Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery and the Coker University Art Program present the 53rd Annual Faculty Exhibition. This year’s exhibition features a selection of works by Professor Nate Gulledge, Professor Austin Sheppard, and Exhibition Director Colleen Critcher. The exhibition will include recent 2D and 3D artwork.
Juried High School Art Exhibition – Jan. 20-Feb. 13, Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery; Free
Reception, Feb. 13, 5 p.m., Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery; Free
The Coker University Art Department presents a juried exhibition featuring a selection of artwork by high school visual artists. This exhibition is open to students working in all genres and media.
Southern Singing Festival – Jan. 31 at 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., Watson Theater; Free
Come hear the culminating concert of the 2nd Annual Southern Singing Festival at Coker University organized by Dr. Kevin Crowe. Under the direction of specialists and guest conductors, high school and college students learn authentic performance practices associated with traditionally Southern styles of singing. This year, singers will focus on spirituals, gospel, and bluegrass. Free.
Black History Showcase, “Diamonds in the Rough” – Feb 5-6 at 7 p.m., Black Box Theater; Free
Diamonds in the Rough is a one-act play about the Newark Eagles, a professional team in the Negro Baseball Leagues from 1936 to 1948, and their owner-general manager, Effa Manley. Manley was the only woman to co-own a Negro League team, who eventually became the first and only woman inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Directed by Professor Phyllis Fields. Free.
Art Exhibition: Anne Mondro “Possibilities of Hope” – Feb. 16-Mar. 20, Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery; Free
Closing Reception for Art Exhibition: Anne Mondro – March 20, 12 p.m., Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery; Free
Anne Mondro’s artistic vision was born from a fascination with objects derived from countless hours exploring her grandmother’s attic as a child, which she describes as a magical place full of knick-knacks, clothing, and accessories from another time. Deeply invested in craftsmanship, Mondro takes great care stitching intimate woven wire sculptures to commemorate individual objects as she seeks to process their stories, honor them, and connect to others. Her work also responds to personal health, as she seeks to process the love, sadness, and grief experienced during a time of illness and disease.
Faculty and Guest Artist Dance Concert – Feb. 19 & 20 at 7 p.m., Feb. 21 at 2 p.m., Watson Theater; $10 General Admission
The Faculty and Guest Artist Dance Concert will feature choreography by the Coker Dance Faculty, as well as nationally known guest artists, performed by Dance students. This concert will present complex choreography exploring themes of the human condition through movement and expression.
Band Spring Masterworks Concert – March 16 at 7 p.m., Watson Theater; Free
Join the Coker University Concert Band, made up of Coker students, faculty, and community members, for their Spring Masterworks concert. Director Deron Jimmerson will lead the band in a variety of musical styles, including new compositions and classic band favorites. Free.
Art Exhibition: Delaney MeSun Shin: Above, Below, and In Between – March 23-April 24, Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery; Free
Closing Reception for Art Exhibition: Delaney Shin – April 24, noon, Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery; Free
Delaney MeSun Shin is an interdisciplinary artist whose work delves into the complex layers of her personal and cultural identity. Shin’s immersive installations and 2D and 3D compositions offer a compelling exploration of identity, weaving together themes of heritage, cultural experiences, and her interest in microbiology. Drawing from both the natural sciences and her Korean-Caucasian background, her artistic voice carries a deep self-reflection. Shin’s mastery of drawing and painting allows her to use paper as a versatile medium, pushing its boundaries to create evocative and immersive spaces for viewers to engage.
Spring Musical Theatre Production – April 9 & 10 at 7 p.m., April 11 at 2 p.m., Watson Theater; $5 Students/Seniors, $20 General Admission
An eclectic group of tweens vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, they spell their way through a series of (potentially made-up) words, hoping never to hear the soul-crushing, pout-inducing, “ding” that signals a mistake. Six spellers enter; one speller leaves a champion! (At least the losers get a juice box.) Conceived by Rebecca Feldman. Additional Material by Jay Reiss. Music and Lyrics by William Finn. Book by Rachel Sheinkin. Directed by Professor Brian Guidry-LeTraunik. $5 Students/Seniors, $20 General Admission
Coker Community Music Program Spring Recital – April 21 at 5 p.m., Music Recital Hall; Free
Come celebrate the end of the spring semester with Coker Community Music Program students, who will showcase their talents and artistic growth in this special recital for family, friends, and the community. Free.
Informal Dance Concert – April 22 at 7 p.m., Watson Theater; Free
The Informal Dance Concert features performances by students enrolled in dance courses as well as student and faculty choreography. A variety of dance styles will be presented, including modern, jazz, musical theatre, contemporary, and hip hop.
Spring Choral Concert – April 23 at 7 p.m., St. Bartholomew’s Epsicopal Church; Free
The final choral concert of the year features the Coker Singers and the Coker Contemporary Chorus. Led by Dr. Kevin Crowe, this performance will showcase the talents and artistic growth of our students and community members alike, through a variety of styles and genres. Free.
Senior Art Exhibition – April 27-May 1, Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery; Free
Each year, the Coker University Art Program is proud to display the thesis exhibitions for our graduating B.F.A. and B.A. visual art seniors. M-F 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Free.
Band Spring Outdoor Pops Concert – April 27 at 7 p.m., Davidson Hall Lawn; Free
Join conductor Deron Jimmerson and the Coker University Concert Band for their Spring Pops concert under the iconic pillars of Davidson Hall. The concert will feature light classical music, jazz, and band arrangements of popular tunes. Come early for an evening of fun for the whole family! Free.