COFAC is housed in two buildings on the UWSP campus: the Noel Fine Arts Center and the Communication Arts Center. Both buildings have excellent facilities with innovative technology and large classrooms. Some specialty spaces include rehearsal facilities, student lockers, a music store, wood, ceramic, and painting studios, costume and scene shops, computer labs, art gallery, administrative offices, practice rooms, television and radio stations, and four performance spaces.
Noel Fine Arts Center
Communication Arts Center
Performance Spaces
Jenkins Theatre is a 372 seat traditional proscenium stage. It is exceptionally well equipped. It offers the students the opportunity to work with elaborate lighting and sound systems. The stage features 40 line sets with Brickhouse arbors, 9 motorized winches, 8 traps and a hydraulically actuated orchestra pit. Lighting students get to work with an inventory of approximately 400 LED and conventional fixtures. Sound equipment includes digital and analog mixing boards, wireless microphones, and computers running Qlab and SFX for playback.
Michelsen Hall has a seating capacity of 349 and is host to nearly 200 music events each year. Its responsive acoustics, clear sight lines, and warm ambiance create a delightful setting for all kinds of musical performances. In addition, recently added state-of-the-art sound and video equipment provide the space with the flexibility to be used in a variety of multi-media settings.
Studio Theatre offers 150 seats in a completely flexible black-box style stage. The audience/stage configuration evolves on a show by show basis. Elaborate sound and lighting systems permit students to work on sophisticated productions in a physically intimate space.
NFAC 221 is a flexible space located on the second floor that is used as a lecture hall and a performance space for the Department of Music, the Department of Theatre and Dance, and Aber Suzuki Center.
Studios, Classrooms, and Rehearsal Spaces
Art Spaces
The studio spaces include:
The Woodshop is available for any design students to use for class work. The shop contains a large variety of well-maintained wood-working equipment and basic hand tools.
The 2D Drawing and Foundation spaces have easels and drawing tables with flexible spaces for set-up, critique areas and ample lighting. There are flat files and large-scale student storage spaces.
The Painting Studio provides students with storage taborets, easels, and storage spaces for their work. There is ample ventilation, a dedicated clean-up area and a hazardous waste disposal area.
The Ceramics studio consists of a large working space for both wheel-working and hand-building. There is a damp room with shelving that students store their work, and a glaze room with two sinks and a spray booth. Adjacent to the classroom is the kiln room for firing the students’ work.
The Photography Studio is equipped for traditional film processing and has a classroom space, darkroom with printing stations, and processing area.
The Printmaking Studio has a paper preparation area, intaglio and lithography presses, articulated ventilation, and flat files for students to store their work. There is a separate area for photo-printmaking, etching and an archive room for students to study professional prints and previous students work.
The Sculpture Studio has work spaces for welding and foundry. In addition, there are tools and equipment for students to use to create 3D pieces using plaster, metal, glass, found objects, etc. under the guidance of a professor.
Dance Studios
The Dance Studios are located in the Noel Fine Arts Center. There are two dance studios with large natural lighting, an office space, work room, a warmup area and dressing rooms.
Computer Design Spaces
There are several computer classrooms and labs in both budlings that are available when classes are not being held that are available for students to use.
Computer Music Center
The Computer Music Center houses a variety of tools that can aid students and faculty alike in doing their work more efficiently and effectively. In the Computer Music Center, one will find 18 production workstations each containing a large screen iMac Computer, Roland Juno D MIDI keyboard/synthesizer, headphones, Yamaha mixers, and a music software package consisting of: FINALE, a music notation program, DIGITAL PERFORMER, a sequencing/audio recording program, PRACTICA MUSICA, a Music Theory program, BAND IN A BOX, an improvisation program, and various supporting internet, word processing and related software packages.
Costume Shop
The Costume Shop is housed in two areas in the Noel Fine Arts Center. There is a large storage area where costumes and accessories are stored until needed for productions, and another working area where students, faculty and staff can create, alter and fit costumes for every production. We also have dressing and stage prep rooms.
Galleries
Located on the second floor of the Noel Fine Arts Center, The Edna Carlsten Art Gallery exhibits local, national, and international artists, hosts community events, and contributes to overseeing and maintaining a unique permanent collection of fine art and design works. The gallery is a beautiful space with three ceiling mounted projectors and a sound system that can be used through the entire gallery or specific spaces. Housed within the Carlsten Gallery is the Schneider Gallery, dedicated to showcasing current and past student works, allowing experimentation, research, and real-world gallery experience.
Music Rehearsal Rooms
The JAZZ rehearsal room (NFAC340) is an excellent rehearsal space that is acoustically designed specifically for jazz groups. It is complete with the latest technology that includes DE, DVD, VCR, computer, and projectors. This room is directly connection to the Digital Recording Studio.
The CHORAL rehearsal room (NFAC 250) is spacious with a gorgeous view to bring in natural sunlight. It is complete with a full technology package that includes computer, digital overhead, CD, DVD, VHS, and digital audio and visual recording capability.
The Large Ensemble rehearsal room (NFAC240) has a complete technology package, percussion storage, and warm wood floor. It is designed for use with band, orchestra, chamber ensemble rehearsals, and instrumental methods classes.
Pointer Studios
UWSP’s student-run TV, YouTube, and Film production studio.
Prop and Scene Shops
Construction of our props and scenes for all of the productions happen in dedicated areas within the Noel Fine Arts Center dependent upon where the production is taking place. We have a prop shop centrally located to outfit the needs of both theatres, and we are also able to construct portions of our sets onsite. We warehouse supplies offsite of bigger pieces when not in use.
WWSP-90FM Student Radio
90FM is staffed by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and is licensed to the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. Our station is operated by nine student employees, one faculty advisor, and more than one-hundred student and community volunteers. With an effective radiated power of 30,000 watts (60 mile broadcast radius) we are one of the leading college radio stations in the country.
Highlights and Honors
COFAC Alumni
Whether you are a recent graduate or a longtime alum, you can make an important difference for today’s students in the College of Fine Arts and Communication. By volunteering to share your story, your network, your career advice, and your successes, you can help guide students through the start of their professional lives as they discover their purpose. You are a vital part of our Pointer family, and we look forward to hearing from you!
upcoming cofac events
The College of Fine Arts and Communication offers more than 500 events open to the public each academic year! These include dance, music, and theater performances, master classes, guest artists, gallery exhibitions, SPTV broadcasts, WWSP radio programs, media and video productions among many other student-created pieces.
While the academic year has concluded, we have an exciting summer ahead! Watch our website for the 2026-27 theatre and dance season announcement, free public concerts during the American Suzuki Institute this July, Carlsten Gallery exhibits and more!