The River Campus is home to the School of Visual and Performing Arts at Southeast Missouri State University. Consisting of four separate adjacent units, the complex will open in Fall 2007. A comprehensive center for the arts, the opening season features an array of music and theatre events in addition to touring shows and art exhibits.

The Seminary Building is a handsomely restored building, the oldest section of which dates to 1845. It houses the offices of the Interim Director and the Assistant Director of the SVPA, as well as the faculty offices for the departments Music and Theatre/Dance. The original Seminary chapel has been converted to an acoustically and aesthetically remarkable Music Recital Hall. There are two large shared classrooms, two design studios, one tiered classroom, one medium, and one small classroom. Eleven music practice rooms are located on the lowest floor as well as the Art Gallery and Arts Resource Center (ARC) that also serves as a computer lab.

The Performance Building is a completely new structure that contains the Bedell Performance Hall, a large, state-of-the-art proscenium theatre which seats 940 persons on two levels and two balconies. Behind it is located a large shop for set and scene construction and a costume shop. A smaller flexible theatre has a seating capacity of 200 and allows for flexible seating configurations. The dance studio is adjacent and features a custom-constructed “sprung” floor for rehearsals and dance concerts. A large instrumental rehearsal room provides work space for the Symphony Orchestra, the Wind Symphony, the Concert Band, the Percussion Ensemble, and various smaller groups. In the lower level of the Performance Building are located art studios for painting, drawing, and fibers.