KINGSTON, R.I. – Sept. 20, 2024 – With the steel skeleton of the centerpiece of a renovated Fine Arts Center taking shape in the background, University of Rhode Island leaders, faculty, students and state lawmakers gathered Thursday morning to celebrate progress of the long-awaited project. 

With construction paused for the event, more than 250 attendees filled a large tent in the parking lot behind the arts center – queuing up to sign their names to a steel beam that will be installed in the building this fall or winter, thanking the many people who made the revitalization of the center a reality, and enjoying a sampling of the fruits of URI’s theatre, music and art programs – as student actors in costume greeted attendees.

The $99 million project has been a major renewal of the 56-year-old arts center, which houses three vibrant programs and also attracts upwards of 50,000 visitors annually for about 100 concerts, five mainstage theatre productions, and eight visual art gallery shows.

When completed in fall 2025, the center will boast a new 71,000-square-foot, three story academic building, along with a new lobby for Robert E. Will Theatre, art galleries for new shows and exhibitions, modern acting classrooms, technical areas for digital art and media, and recording studios.

“This moment is important as we want to acknowledge the collaborative efforts of our entire community who have brought this project to life and to celebrate the beginning of a new chapter for the fine arts at URI,” said Jen Riley, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “The new center will be a state-of-the-art space for our students and faculty artists.”

“This has been a long time in the making so it’s really a special day celebrating the University’s newest academic building,” said URI President Marc Parlange. “But this would not have been possible without the strong support of the Rhode Island community and the voters. So I want to thank you. And I just want to say there has been a renewed investment in the University of Rhode Island from our leadership at the state level. I want to thank Governor McKee and House Speaker Shekarchi, who are here today, and give a shout out to our South County delegation.”

Parlange called the Fine Arts Center project just one example of URI’s commitment to making a positive difference in Rhode Island. Just two days before, Parlange, McKee and Rhode Island College President Jack Warner launched the “Yes on 2” campaign for a new $160.5 million higher education bond that will bring major advances in the life sciences and cybersecurity to the state.

In his comments, McKee called the arts one of the vital parts of good education, one of the three A’s with academics and athletics. “The arts on the campus – whether it’s high school or college – is really integral to the way the spirit of the institution actually grows,” he said. “And that’s happening here. URI’s Fine Arts Center is a special place.”

House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi heralded the partnership among state lawmakers and URI leaders that helps to make such projects and others a reality. “We may have different ways and different ideas of how to get there but we all need to work together,” he said. “And why that’s so critical … is because this university is our flagship university. And we need to make sure that it’s successful.”

Margo Cook, chair of URI Board of Trustees, marveled at the University’s progress and momentum – including the Fine Arts Center and the Ocean Robotics Lab being built at URI’s Bay Campus, along with the recent Wall Street Journal rankings of 500 universities in the U.S.

“We are making substantial investments in the physical environment, the systems, and the academic programs that are amplifying URI’s standing as one of the nation’s great universities – and, in fact, as the very best public university in New England, according to a recent Wall Street Journal ranking,” Cook said.

Importance of the arts

Barbara Wolfe, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, noted the importance of URI’s fine arts programs in education and as a community resource. “The fine arts, which include art, art history, music, music therapy and theatre – provide students with a range of valuable learning experiences,” she said. “Whether a student is a fine arts major or taking one class, they develop creative thinking skills that can serve them well across career fields.”

Andrew Bock, of San Clemente, California, a senior studio art major with concentrations in graphic design and sculpture, echoed that: “Our art program is more than a curriculum; it’s a community that fosters creativity, critical thinking, and innovation. At URI, we’re encouraged to push the boundaries, explore diverse perspectives, and develop our own artistic voice.”

“URI’s Fine Arts Center is a place where students hone their skills, share their talents, and chart their course forward in life,” said state Sen. V. Susan Sosnowski. “The revitalized facility being celebrated today will expand and enhance the resources available to aspiring artists for generations to come.”’

Winnie Brownell, dean emerita of the College of Arts and Sciences – who Riley thanked in her remarks for her long campaign to renovate the Fine Arts Center – attended Thursday’s event as a guest. She said she was thrilled with project’s progress.

“I asked myself several times, ‘Why do people who create so much beauty in the visual and performing arts have to live and work in the ugliest building on campus?’” said Brownell. “So it’s so thrilling to see them get the kind of facility they deserve.”

Students and faculty play a role

In their remarks, faculty representatives recalled the arts center’s leaky and dark past and said they looked forward to a new building that would match the quality of the programs within.

Art professor Annu Palakunnathu Matthew remembers working with colleague Lisa Tom to circulate a petition for a new building that got 2,000 signatures. She thanked Riley for her role in making the project a reality, along with the work of retired art chair Ron Onorato and current chair Ben Anderson.

“The new Fine Arts Center represents an investment from Rhode Island and the University in the future of the arts. It’s an institutional statement of trust,” said Matthew, sharing the feelings of younger art faculty. “It means a space that reflects our artistic vision and the vibrant future we’re aiming for.”

“This space will act as an arts center, not just for the University, but for all of South County,” said David Howard, professor of theatre. “Members of the community will be able to reconnect with first-rate theatrical productions, exceptional music and art programming within this state-of-the-art complex. We need to thank the people of Rhode Island for seeing the potential in our arts programs by committing to his project.”

Luis Viquez, director of orchestral studies who joined the music department a year ago, said it will enable students to push the limits of their talents and creativity. He also said it would provide a stage when URI hosts the 2026 National Conference of the College Orchestra Directors Association. The gathering will attract some of the top conductors and college orchestras to campus – with URI’s symphony orchestra performing the opening concert. “Our new building will be the perfect setting for all of this,” said Viquez. “It will set the stage for incredible music journeys and interdisciplinary artistic collaborations.”

Fine arts students Isaiah Agabi and Zeynep Balci showcased the work of fine arts students during the speaking program. 

Balci, a graduate student in violin performance from Istanbul, Turkey,  played a piece by Bach, the same composition she played for her URI audition. “My department chair asked me to play today,” she said. “I was shocked because he picked me and I feel so happy. It’s a great event.”

Agabi of Warwick, a sophomore double major in theater and civil engineering, reprised his leading role in URI’s spring production of “Macbeth,” reciting a monologue from the first act. He said he looked forward to a new arts home.

“It’s our space where we create art,” he said. “So, for us to have something new where we have access to new areas like dance rooms and bigger rehearsal spaces, it’s going to make being in this space even more enjoyable.”