URI Cuts the Ribbon on a New Fine Arts Center

University leaders, faculty, students, state and local elected officials rang in the next phase of URI’s creative endeavors as they celebrated the University’s new Fine Arts Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The event took place outside the Robert E. Will Theatre in the center’s main lobby at 105 Upper College Road.

Funded through state capital and University funds as well as a 2021 voter-approved bond issue, the $99 million project included renovation of the University’s 58-year-old Fine Arts Center as well as a new 71,000-square-foot, three-story academic building that features a theater lobby and art gallery on the first floor, as well as areas for digital art and media, recording studios, and classrooms.

The new building is designed to bring artists together and give them physical space to inspire creativity, and serve as an active community of artists, designers, composers, performers and scholars.

The celebration included remarks from URI President Marc Parlange, URI Board of Trustees members, Rhode Island House and Senate lawmakers, and URI faculty, staff and student performers.

Along with an open house and guided tours offered to attendees, the ceremony included a formal dedication of a choral room within the Fine Arts Center named in honor of the late Rhode Island Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio.

Participating: URI President Marc Parlange, URI Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Barbara Wolfe, URI College of Arts and Sciences Dean Pamela Swett, URI Board of Trustees members, URI Art and Art History Department Chair Ben Anderson, URI Theatre Department Chair Rachel Walshe, Senate President Valarie Lawson, Charles Ruggerio, son of the late Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio, students Sharday Johnson and Kacie Doran, and student performers.

The College of Arts and Sciences is home to an active community of artists, designers, composers, performers, and scholars. The new 3-story 71,000 sq.ft. building is designed to bring artists together and give them the physical space to inspire creativity. The fine arts, which include art, art history, music, and theatre, provide students with a range of valuable learning experiences. Further, the new Fine Arts Center represents a space that reflects the University’s artistic vision and a vibrant future. Below includes a breakdown of workspaces for each department.