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Finding the right college means finding the right fit. See all that the College of Liberal Arts has to offer by visiting campus.
Dean Charles Taylor and chairs of the arts departments of the Wright State University College of Liberal Arts formed CELIA, an Ohio Center of Excellence for Collaborative Education, Leadership and Innovation in the Arts, in late 2008. CELIA was founded in response to a request from the University System of Ohio (USO). The USO had invited public and private universities in the state to submit selected programs for Center of Excellence designation. Institutions nominated particularly outstanding programs for further consideration as possible “statewide” centers.
Following presentation to the president and provost of the university, CELIA was designated a Wright State Center of Excellence in early 2009, and music professor Hank Dahlman, D.M.A., was appointed the founding director in May of that year. Thanks to the strong support of the president, provost, and Board of Trustees, CELIA was named an Ohio Center of Excellence in October 2011—one of three arts-related centers in the state.
In 2011, CELIA introduced its first grant program for arts faculty working in collaboration with significant external or internal partners. Maximum awards are $2,500 for one academic year, funded on an ad hoc basis.
In 2012, CELIA introduced two exciting new initiatives, the Distinguished Visiting Artist Program and the CELIA Fellows Program. In 2013, the Distinguished Visiting Artist Program began bringing nationally or internationally known artists on campus for a short-term residency featuring immersive interaction with Wright State and area arts students and professionals, as well as high-level performances and exhibitions. The residency included publicly available lectures and master classes on campus, performances, and exhibitions sponsored by CELIA and a related regional arts partner. Also in 2013, the CELIA Fellows Program provided funded research and creative scholarship fellowships to faculty in the arts, humanities, and social sciences, with a focus on collaboration and innovation.
Thus, since its inception, CELIA has made important contributions to the quality of life and economy of Wright State, the region, the state, and nationally. As a result, CELIA has collaborated with and received significant recognition by such varied organizations and artists as HBO, CPB, Tom Hanks, the Dayton Philharmonic, Human Race Theatre Company, and Maestro Neal Gittleman. CELIA has also received recognition for its accomplishments by two Ohio governors, two USO Chancellors, local community and arts leaders and institutions, and the Wright State Board of Trustees.
Finding the right college means finding the right fit. See all that the College of Liberal Arts has to offer by visiting campus.