Add as a preferred source on Google

St. Mary’s College Opens New Performing Arts Building

  • By Matt Jones
  • 09/29/22

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. The new facility will house the campus’ music department and includes amenities like music labs, rehearsal rooms and a recital hall with a capacity of 125, according to local news.

Other features include a 700-seat auditorium for concerts and other large gatherings, as well as a lobby area featuring floor-to-ceiling, curved glass windows for receptions. The facility is named after Norton Dodge, who served as an economics professor at the college from 1980–89, a member of the board of trustees from 1968–1979, and a director of the St. Mary’s College of Maryland Foundation from 1980–2000, according to local news. Dodge passed away in 2011.

“The impact of the performing arts center on the college cannot be overstated,” said St. Mary’s College of Maryland President Tuajuanda Jordan.

The college also opened a new Learning Commons adjacent to the performing arts center. The Commons will play home to the college’s department of educational studies, as well as a café and student study space. The combined cost of the two buildings was $66 million, which was funded through the state of Maryland and $2.5 million in private donations.

According to the college’s website, the college partnered with design firms Graham Gund Architects of Boston and GWWO Architects of Baltimore, and Holder Construction Company served as the Construction Manager at Risk. Construction began in late January 2020.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • UNL Kiewit Hall

    Designing for Engineering Excellence: Integrating Sustainability and Wellness at UNLs Kiewit Hall

    Kiewit Hall at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln exemplifies how academic institutions can integrate sustainability and wellness into modern learning environments. With an integrated and collaborative team approach, Kiewit Hall addresses enhanced learning and creativity, physical health, and mental wellness, and fosters a sense of community through innovative design, operations, and policy solutions.

  • UNT Dallas Holds Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for $100M STEM Building

    The University of North Texas at Dallas in Dallas, Texas, recently celebrated the opening of its new, $100-million STEM Building, according to local news. The ceremony on Dec. 2 preceded the first day of classes in the facility on Jan. 12, 2026.

  • Construction Begins on East Austin CTE-Focused High School

    The Del Valle Independent School District recently announced that construction has begun on a new CTE-focused high school in Austin, Texas, according to a news release. Del Valle High School will measure in at 473,338 square feet and have the capacity for 2,400 students.

  • classroom with crystal ball on top of a desk

    Call for Opinions: Spaces4Learning 2026 Predictions for Educational Facilities

    As 2025 winds to a close, the Spaces4Learning staff is asking its readers—school administrators, architects, engineers, facilities managers, builders, superintendents, designers, vendors, and more—to send us their predictions for educational facilities in 2026.

Digital Edition