The Arts Campus
in Playhouse Square

Located in downtown Cleveland's Playhouse Square district, Cleveland State University's Arts Campus places students within one of the nation's most active arts and entertainment environments. Surrounded by theaters, performance venues, public art, media organizations, and a constant flow of cultural activity, the Arts Campus connects studio and classroom learning to the creative life of the city.

The Arts Campus is home to the Department of Art & Design, the Department of Theatre and Dance, and the School of Film & Media Arts. Together, these programs create a shared creative environment where students in visual art, design, theatre, dance, film, and media arts study and work alongside one another while engaging with Cleveland's broader arts community.

Department of Art & Design

The Department of Art & Design is primarily housed in the Theatre & Arts Building (TA), where students have access to drawing and painting studios, photography facilities, Mac labs, printmaking studios, critique spaces, design workroom, and other creative workspaces. Many studios offer views of downtown Cleveland and Lake Erie, placing student work within the context of the city itself.

Specialized Sculpture and Ceramics Studios are located elsewhere on CSU's main campus and include dedicated fabrication, woodworking, welding, bronze casting, and kiln facilities.

Learn more about Theatre & Arts Building

Learn more about the Sculpture & Ceramics studios

Department of Theatre and Dance

The Department of Theatre and Dance is located within the Theatre & Arts Building and performs in Playhouse Square's Allen Theatre Complex, including the Allen Theatre Mainstage, Outcalt Theatre, and the Helen Rosenfeld Lewis Bialosky Lab Theatre ("The Helen"). Through its location in Playhouse Square, the department studies and performs within the same professional arts district that is home to Cleveland Play House and many of Northeast Ohio's leading performing arts organizations.

Learn more about Theatre & Dance

School of Film & Media Arts

The School of Film & Media Arts is located nearby in the Idea Center at Playhouse Square. Its location within the district provides students access to a professional media environment while contributing to the Arts Campus's interdisciplinary creative culture.

Learn more about the School of Film & Media Arts

A Creative Environment in Downtown Cleveland

The Arts Campus extends beyond its buildings. Students are part of a downtown arts district where performances, exhibitions, screenings, festivals, and public events are part of everyday life. Together, these facilities place students within a working creative environment where studio practice, performance, media production, and public cultural life intersect.