Hosted at Carr’s Hill each month, Arts on the Hill has been home to performances from national staples of pop culture like Sesame Street to University students such as the U.Va. bluegrass band and University Singers. Music, poetry, puppeteering and more have filled the space, with the series defined by its diversity of art on display.
From its inception, Arts on the Hill has aimed to take these diverse types of art and present them in a smaller setting with an audience of barely more than a hundred. Jody Kielbasa, vice provost for the arts, said that these tighter-knit performances are a core part of the identity of Arts on the Hill.
“The concept was an intimate experience,” Kielbasa said. “Almost like the French art salons they had, in which people would gather together in a home or a smaller environment to share an experience in the arts.”
In 2020, former University President Jim Ryan started the ongoing collaboration between his office and U.Va. Arts as a way to highlight a variety of artistic performances for students and faculty. The series was a key part of Ryan’s time in office and will continue to define art on Grounds for countless students and staff.
Kielbasa recalled meeting with Matt Weber, chief creative officer and senior advisor to the President, to flesh out specifics for the intimate-style performances which would provide a unique experience that brought everyone on Grounds together. With free admission via a ticket lottery, the monthly events are accessible for students, faculty and staff alike.
The experience of sharing the arts with one another goes beyond just witnessing these performances, with artists often using the space to share tidbits about their work. For example, in his November 2023 performance, Grammy award-winning musician Jon Batiste included insights into his life and creative process. He broke down how he wrote each song and what inspired him to do so.
Similarly, when the cast of Sesame Street came to the University for Arts on the Hill in March 2025 to do a puppet show, they also hosted a workshop where students could talk to the people behind the show and even use the puppets themselves.
The University’s own organizations also have ample opportunity to explore their craft with the rest of the student body. Michael Slon, Music professor and director of choral music and director of University Singers, said that Arts on the Hill enabled him to delve into the technicalities of his craft in a way he could not for a typical performance.
“In one case, I took apart a single measure of music with a huge 11-part chord and showed the audience how we build up that harmony,” Slon said. “It gives you a view into the magic behind the art.”
The opportunity to share these creative processes reflects a larger quality of Arts on the Hill — the sense of closeness between performer and audience. Kielbasa talked about one particularly resonant choral performance that highlighted this quality.
“The guests that were standing with their feet on the floor were sharing the same stage as the singers,” Kielbasa said. “You could feel it coursing through your feet, into your body. It was really a very unique experience.”
The close company of the Arts on the Hill performances are also a great place to meet like-minded people. Marilyn Wright, senior associate director of the U.Va. Parents Fund, has been a regular attendee of Arts on the Hill event and said that the small audiences gave her a chance to interact with the people around her.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, gatherings like these were not possible. Yet Ryan, Kielbasa and Weber were determined to continue fostering community through the arts. In December of 2020, in place of the annual in-person holiday concerts, the three had the idea to record and upload the concert to YouTube and send it out to nearly 30,000 students, faculty and alumni.
“During that time, they couldn't convene for public events, especially arts events, in an enclosed theater or hall,” Kielbasa said. “It really warmed everybody's hearts, and it brought them back to the Grounds of the University in a deeply meaningful way.”
Arts on the Hill is not just beneficial for general students and faculty, but also for those performing. It is a great way for artistic students to try performing for the first time and to give their groups or themselves exposure.
Second-year College student Erin Stapleton, who performed for Arts on the Hill with the Virginia Women’s Chorus, noted the positive impact the event had on her and her peers.
“It gives artists a platform to showcase their skills to a crowd of people who are ready to appreciate and discuss what they see,” Stapleton said.
Wright emphasized how Arts on the Hill is not just a performance series, but a space where the University community can revel in the arts and connect with one another across roles and generations. For her, that sense of belonging is at the heart of what makes the program meaningful.
“It's really beautiful, it's happy, it's positive,” Wright said. “It brings us all together, all the different ages and reasons for being at U.Va., whether you're a student or a faculty member or an employee. It helps build family.”
According to Kielbasa, interim President Paul Mahoney has expressed a desire to continue Arts on the Hill in the 2025-2026 academic year, and U.Va. Arts is working with him to schedule future events.
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