Split Rock Arts Program

Dear Split Rock participants, friends, and instructors:

As many of you know, the Split Rock Arts Program hosted its final season this summer with a diverse roster of workshops on the Twin Cities campus and retreats at the Cloquet Forestry Center. After 28 years of offering educational opportunities under the Split Rock brand—Split Rock began as the Summer Arts Study Center in 1969 and changed its name in 1983—the College of Continuing Education has reluctantly decided to discontinue the program. Instead, the College will redirect its energies and resources toward LearningLife, our innovative portfolio of programs serving a growing audience of lifelong learners.

As with many long-standing arts education programs, the economic, social, and academic conditions under which the Split Rock Arts Program was created have changed substantively. In recent years, in particular, the audience for specialized, hands-on learning experiences has declined and the program has found it difficult to acquire and sustain the studio space, technology, and equipment necessary for a successful 21st-century arts operation.

Despite this difficult but necessary decision, I know you will join me in celebrating Split Rock and its remarkable history of hosting and serving artists and writers from throughout the world. It is with this same spirit that the College will continue to create innovative lifelong learning opportunities that provide access to the knowledge resources of the University of Minnesota.

Please consider joining us by opting in to get regular updates from LearningLife.

Sincerely,

Mary Nichols
Dean
College of Continuing Education