The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala., recently celebrated the topping out of its new Smith Family Center for Performing Arts, according to a news release. The university is partnering with HPM for program and project management on the facility, which broke ground in 2023 and is scheduled for completion in November 2026.
Irvine High School in Irvine, Calif., recently opened its new Performing Arts Center built in partnership with C.W. Driver Companies, according to a news release. The facility cost $35 million and covers about 25,000 square feet.
Designing a top-tier performing arts facility for a high school is a complex endeavor that demands a delicate balance between advanced technical specifications and practical budget considerations. Nevertheless, it represents a crucial initiative that enriches educational and community engagements.
Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, N.C., recently announced the selection of Little Diversified Architectural Consulting (Little) to serve as the project architect for its new Visual and Performing Arts Center, according to a news release. The 1,000-seat theater will serve the college and local community as a home for theater, visual arts, performing arts, art exhibitions, and other cultural and educational events.
Plainfield High School in Plainfield, N.J., recently completed a series of construction projects including an auditorium renovation, a new eSports gaming arena, and a black-box theater, according to a news release. The school partnered with PureTek Group to install the Pliant Technologies CrewCom professional wireless intercom system.
Wenger Corporation, which provides solutions for performing arts and music education spaces, recently launched a free educational resource guide, “Rigging Guide for Performance Spaces.” The 32-page e-book is available on the company website and provides a background in the technical knowledge required to help administrators and educators make decisions in the planning process.
Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., recently announced that construction has begun on a new performing arts center for the campus, according to a news release. The David E. and Stacey L. Goel Center for Creativity & Performance will serve as the new home for the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.), as well as a wide variety of performances, public gatherings, teaching opportunities, and international research.
Sonoma Academy—a private, co-ed college preparatory school in Santa Rosa, Calif.—recently announced that construction is complete on a new, 350-seat Community Performing Arts Center, according to a news release. The facility will play home to the school’s music, theater, and film productions and host various types of programming for the community at large.
Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., recently broke ground on a new performance center that will play home to the American Repertory Theater, according to a news release. The university is partnering with architect and design lead Haworth Tompkins, architect of record ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge, and construction manager Shawmut Design and Construction for the David E. and Stacy L. Goel Center for Creativity & Performance.
Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. Hogg Memorial Auditorium at the University of Texas at Austin has been recognized with an EDS 2024 Grand Prize award in the category of Renovation.
Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington, N.C., recently announced a partnership with security technology company Evolv Technology to install a new weapons detection system on campus, according to a news release. The college’s performing arts venue, Wilson Center, now makes use of the Evolv Express system at its main entrance to screen guests entering the building.
The Colburn School in Los Angeles, Calif., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for a 100,000-square-foot expansion designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry, according to a news release. The Colburn School is a music and dance education and performance institute that offers services to people of all ages, from 7-month-olds to adults.
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC) recently announced that construction will soon begin on a new Arts and Media Building, according to university news. The facility will stand two stories, cover 85,000 square feet, and was designed by BGK Architects and Bora Architects.
Getting a student out from behind a desk; having them work with others in a self-directed way; allowing them to explore and express themselves and make things; having them learn skills that can be applied in life and in possible career paths—those are goals behind today’s push to change how students learn, to get them to want to come to school every day. Education in the theatrical and performing arts promises much of these.
Music and theater education solutions company Wenger Corporation recently announced the launch of the Novara LED light fixture, according to a news release.
Local news reports that the Board of Trustees at Clemson University in Clemson, S.C., recently approved renovations to Tillman Hall Auditorium which will begin later this year.
Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, Calif., recently opened its new Fine Arts Complex to the campus community, according to a news release.
Pomfret School, a college preparatory boarding and day school that serves students in grades 9–12 in Pomfret, Conn., recently completed renovations to one of its two auditoriums on campus, according to a news release.
New York University in New York City is getting ready to open its newest academic building, the John A. Paulson Center.
After more than ten years of waiting, construction has finally begun on a new Center for Performing Arts (CPA) on the campus of Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois.
St. Mary’s College of Maryland in St. Mary’s City, Maryland, recently debuted its new performing arts center to the public. The college held a daylong celebration on Saturday, Sept. 24, in honor of the new Nancy R. and Norton T. Dodge Performing Arts Center.
Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo., recently announced that the opening of its new John Goodman Amphitheater has been delayed until late October. The project was originally expected to be completed by early summer, in time for the beginning of the 60th season of the university’s Tent Theatre program.
Given the history of performing arts excellence in Mapleton, the district has committed to investing even more heavily in these programs by planting a legacy performing arts center to serve as a district-wide icon. Named The Mapleton Arts Center (The MAC), the building supports nearly 1,000 students across the district involved in Mapleton’s performing arts programs.
Construction recently began on a series of renovations and expansions to the Visual Performing Arts (VPA) Center at Booker High School in Sarasota, Fla.
Keokuk High School in Keokuk, Iowa, recently began construction on a new wing to provide additional space to the fine arts department.
College of the Redwoods, a community college in Eureka, Calif., recently broke ground on a new creative arts building. The new facility will measure in at 29,888 square feet and will replace the former creative arts building, which was built in 1974.
The University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, recently announced that construction has begun on a new performance venue. The 409-seat theater is scheduled to open its doors to the public by fall 2023.
Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, announced this week that it is planning an $8-million theatre renovation project.
The College of Charleston in Charleston, S.C., has announced a renovation project for its Albert Simons Center for the Arts. The facility originally opened in 1979 for about 800 students. Today, it serves about 4,000, according to a press release, and officials are moving forward with plans to update its classrooms, performances spaces, technology and infrastructure.
Loyola Academy, a private Jesuit college preparatory school in Wilmette, Ill., recently broke ground on a brand-new, 29,000-square-foot performing arts center. The Loyola Academy Center for the Performing Arts comes with a $25.76-million price tag and will feature flexible indoor and outdoor performance spaces.