Celebrating 75 Years of Fine Arts at the Restored Fine Arts Center: Free Art Activities and Public Reception on April 16

The University of Arkansas School of Art, housed in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, invites the campus to celebrate the grand reopening of the historic Fine Arts Center on April 16 with a reception from 5-7 p.m. in the lobby and various art activities throughout the day. The opening marks 75 years of the Center on campus.  

Designed by Arkansas native and U of A alumnus Edward Durell Stone, who also designed the original Museum of Modern Art and the Kennedy Center, the Fine Arts Center has been considered one of the first academic multidisciplinary art buildings. When it opened in 1951, the Center united theatre, dance, music, art and architecture together under one roof. A $38 million restoration of the building began in 2023 in partnership with architectural firms TenBerke and MBL Architecture.

Spaces now include updated and adaptable classrooms, a new teaching gallery, and revitalized performance spaces like the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall. In addition, a piece by famed artist Alexander Calder that was once hung in the original building in the 1950s will be installed and on view in the Fine Arts Library during the April 16 celebration. Calder is known for his innovative mobiles which are on view in renowned institutions like the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the National Gallery of Art. 

Leading up to the evening reception, campus members are invited to enjoy morning yoga on the lawn - facilitated by University Recreation - print their own tote bags during the printmaking sessions on the second floor, pose for a live custom-made portrait they can take home, participate in a loom workshop to make textile art and more. A complete list is available on HogSync. 

The schedule of events includes: 

All Day (9 a.m. until 7 p.m.)  

• The First Years Exhibition — Fine Arts Center Teaching Gallery  
• Creativity + Wellness: Virtual Reality for Emotional Regulation (SoA Technology Empowered Storytelling Lab in partnership with Sam M. Walton College) — Fine Arts Center Lobby  

Various Activities Throughout the Day  

• 9-10 a.m.: Arts + Wellness: Yoga Class — Fine Arts Center Lawn  
• 10 a.m.-2 p.m.: Printmaking/Tote Bag Printing — Fine Arts Center Second Floor  
• 11 a.m.-3 p.m.: Tactile Art Demo — Fine Arts Center Lobby 
• 12 p.m.: Free Lunch — Fine Arts Center Lobby 
• 3 p.m.: Loom Workshop — Fine Arts Center Conference Room 115 
• 5-7 p.m.: Grand Reopening Reception (including live portraits for attendees to take home and performances by U of A Music and Theatre) — Fine Arts Center Lobby  

The teaching gallery — located on the main floor — features The First Years exhibition, a collaboration between the School of Art, U of A Libraries, and the U of A Museum, which showcases historic items like the original 1950s ticket booth, a chaise longue designed by Stone and manufactured by Fulbright Industries as well as work from former art faculty. The exhibition will run from the reopening celebration on April 16 until July 10. Aside from the April 16 celebration, the gallery will be open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or by special appointment. A digital collection also accompanies the physical exhibition, available online.   

All are welcome to these free events. Parking is encouraged in the Harmon and Stadium Parking Garages. Attendees can also attend the music and theatre departments' spring shows which will be opening shortly after the reception wraps.  

The Fine Arts Center restoration was made possible by the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation, the University of Arkansas, Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, and collaborations with U of A Libraries, Special Collections, UA Museum, U of A Department of Music and U of A Department of Theatre. Architects of the restoration were MBL Architecture and TenBerke. 

For more information about the Fine Arts Center Grand Reopening on April 16, please visit the School of Art's site.