The Center for the Arts at the University at Buffalo is a cultural institution established in 1994 on the University at BuffaloNorth Campus in Amherst. The building is multi-purposed, serving primarily as a public venue for theatrical and artistic performances and showings, and also as a teaching facility for students in disciplines such as media studies, art, theatre, and dance. The Center for the Arts presents a wide range of high qualityperforming arts and visual arts for the University, the State and the region, and enhances and augment the academic activities of the fine and performing arts departments at the University at Buffalo. Through its facilities and programs, the Center for the Arts plays a significant role in accomplishing the mission of the University, presenting enriched educational and cultural opportunities through University performances, state and regional events, and national and international touring productions and exhibits.
History
Designed by Gwathmey Siegel & Architects Associates LLC, the building was erected for $50 million. The facility was opened by the fall semester of 1994 as the Fine Arts Center, and was renamed the Center for the Arts, its current name, later that year.
Theatres
Mainstage Theatre
Seating 1750, the Mainstage is the largest theatre in the Center. Featuring entirely professional productions, this theatre features a computer-tunable wall system for acoustics, a movable proscenium, a custom built orchestra shell, and a large wide by deep stage.
Drama Theatre
The Center's other proscenium theatre, the Drama Theatre is a smaller theatre. Like its larger companion, it too features a movable proscenium. It is fully trapped. It is wide by deep.
The smallest of the theatres in the facility, the Black Box Theatre, is designed with the standard flexibility of a Black box theater, supporting 175 seats in various configurations.
Arts in Healthcare
The Arts in Healthcare Initiative, established by the UB Center for the Arts, brings arts programming to the patients, visitors, and staff of Roswell Park Cancer Institute and Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo. The arts transform the hospital environment by engaging individuals in creative activities, enhancing the healthcare experience and encouraging physical and emotional well-being. The Arts in Healthcare Initiative consists of twelve professional Artists in Residence with extensive experience in writing, music, dance, theater and the visual arts from Buffalo's vast cultural community. Artists work daily with the hospital population in waiting areas and playrooms as well as at the bedside and intimate patient care areas. Artists facilitate the creative process, allowing for enhanced communication, personal expression, understanding, distraction, and healing.
