The River Campus at Southeast Missouri State University is the only institution in the state to have a separate arts campus.  Beautifully situated on the banks of the Mississippi River, the River Campus  houses the Earl and Margie Holland School of Visual and Performing Arts and is only minutes from downtown Cape Girardeau and Southeast’s central campus.

This unique facility combines the best of the old and the new.  The Seminary building, original parts of which date from 1845, is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.  Fully renovated inside and out, it houses offices, studios and classrooms for the Departments of Art, Music and Theatre & Dance.  The lower floor contains practice rooms as well as the shared Art Resource Center, a student work center containing music scores, art slides, video and audio recordings, and a computer lab.  The former seminary chapel has been transformed into the 205-seat Robert and Gertrude Shuck Music Recital Hall. This handsome space, which retains the historic stained glass windows, is acoustically “dressed” for mid-sized musical performances and includes its own “green room” below.

Adjacent to the seminary building is the new edifice that contains the 950-seat Donald C. Bedell Performance Hall, a state-of-the-art performance space in which plays, large instrumental and vocal music concerts, musicals, and ballets are produced.  A professional-sized orchestra pit will accommodate instrumental groups to accompany actors and singers in the presentation of Broadway musicals and operas.

Also part of the complex is the Wendy Kurka Rust Flexible Theatre a “black box” that allows for various seating configurations, depending on the production.  With 180 seats, this space caters to smaller, more intimate, theatrical productions.  Southeast also has a growing dance program, and the dance studio, located adjacent to the flexible theatre,  allows dancers to rehearse for upcoming concerts and provides space for smaller productions.  The lower level of the new building on the south side contains visual art studios for painting, drawing, fibers, and design. 

The River Campus not only provides excellent facilities for the creation of art, but also provides spaces to exhibit and to learn about art.  While comprehensive degree programs are offered in all departments for university students, the new facility provides a venue for educational outreach in the region, including the Rosemary Berkel and Harry L. Crisp II Museum situated in front of the Bedell Performance Hall. The museum  features interactive exhibits which highlight the region’s history and development.

The John and Betty Glenn Convocation Center is located on the southwest corner of the property.  It provides space for meetings, pre-concert lectures, pre- and post-event receptions, and special community and educational functions in a well appointed and convenient location.

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