Give to the Center for the Arts
The Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts is a dynamic gathering place on campus where our community comes together to celebrate the arts through shared experiences that ignite creativity, inspire discovery, and deepen connection.
By offering new ways to understand or consider the human experience, the arts have the power to inspire reflection and healing. Often considered the 鈥渇ifth pillar of health,鈥� the arts have been linked to slower biological aging, increased positivity, and greater resilience鈥攄emonstrating their profound impact on overall well-being.
As part of a liberal arts university, the Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts plays a vital role in creating a well-rounded educational experience for our students. Through music, theatre, and visual arts, the center strengthens community engagement, while encouraging students to think creatively, explore new perspectives, and respond to the world with empathy and purpose.
We pride ourselves in having a little bit of something for everyone at the Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts. Our mission is to present an innovative, unique, entertaining, and diverse program of exceptional performances and museum exhibitions each year.
Rebecca Carson, Managing Director
Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts
Empower the Next Generation of Creative Leaders
Our music and theatre students showcase their talents throughout the year at Pepperdine鈥檚 three exceptional performance venues:
Smothers Theatre
A 450-seat theater with raked seating and superior sight lines, it is considered to be one of the finest theatres of its size in Los Angeles.
Helen E. Lindhurst Theatre
With seating for 50 to 100 guests, this flexible black box theatre hosts some of Pepperdine鈥檚 most innovative student productions.
Raitt Recital Hall
An acoustically superior venue seating up to 124 guests, Raitt Recital Hall offers an intimate setting for musical performances.
Complementing our performance venues is Pepperdine鈥檚 on-campus museum, which presents a diverse range of visual art and artistic expression each year.
Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art
Curating eight to ten exhibitions annually for the University community and beyond, the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art provides student artists with meaningful opportunities to engage directly with art installations and artists while gaining invaluable exposure to the professional art world. Each spring, the Senior Studio Art Thesis Exhibition celebrates the creativity, talent, and achievement of Pepperdine鈥檚 graduating visual artists.
In addition to serving our students and campus community, these world-class venues welcome art enthusiasts from across Los Angeles and Southern California. Our year-round offerings鈥攊ncluding ARTSReach, a dynamic educational initiative that introduces the arts to local community schoolchildren鈥攂ring thousands of visitors to our Malibu campus each year for inspiring cultural experiences that showcase both emerging talent and acclaimed artists. Through performances, exhibitions, and community events, guests have meaningful opportunities to connect with our talented students and faculty, as well as the dedicated staff of the Center for the Arts.
Support for our student-focused programming and operations will help us advance our goals of expanding art-infused educational experiences for all students, while providing a professional laboratory to equip and prepare the next generation of artists and creative leaders. Signature programs that offer immersive opportunities for our fine arts students include:
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
This eight-week summer program offers students a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform at one of the world鈥檚 largest performing arts festivals while discovering the vibrant international arts community of Edinburgh.
Pepperdine Chamber Choir
Pepperdine鈥檚 premier auditioned vocal ensemble, the Chamber Choir performs a challenging and diverse repertoire and regularly tours both nationally and internationally.
Concert Choir
Seaver College鈥檚 largest mixed vocal ensemble, the Concert Choir features 80 to 100 singers and brings depth, artistry, and inspiration to many of the University鈥檚 most significant events throughout the year.
Flora L. Thornton Opera Program
Recognized as one of the nation鈥檚 leading undergraduate vocal programs, the Flora L. Thornton Opera Program develops the talents of classically trained singers through immersive performance opportunities, including fully staged productions and master classes led by top professionals.
Gifts to the Center for the Arts Endowment Fund will help sustain these transformative opportunities for generations to come. Endowed support for leadership positions鈥攊ncluding the managing director of the Arts, the director of the Weisman Museum of Art, and the Fine Arts divisional dean鈥攚ill strengthen the University鈥檚 reputation, expand artistic opportunities, and establish lasting resources that ensure Pepperdine can continue to attract exceptional artists, educators, and scholars. In turn, these investments will help recruit the next generation of talented student artists to study and create within our vibrant arts community.
To learn more about how you can support the Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts, contact Rachel Guettler, vice chancellor for development at rachel.guettler@pepperdine.edu or 310.506.6514.