CFA Renovations Overview

Creating a Future for the Arts: Master Plan for Facility Renovation

View a slideshow of progress at 855 and 808 Commonwealth Avenue or learn about how you can support our ongoing renovations by contacting us at impulse@bu.edu or 617-358-5211.

With the completion of the renovation’s first phase, the College of Fine Arts now offers its students the largest selection of state-of-the-art practice studios in the country. The Judith R. Harris Center for Music Teaching and Learning provides an environment tailored for developing the musical talents of all BU community members who use it. The new community lounge has become a place where students relax; foster study, collaboration, and fellowship; and develop a true sense of belonging.

Thanks to a lead grant of $400,000 from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, CFA has turned its fundraising efforts toward the second phase of its campaign: transformation of its signature Concert Hall. Once completed, this performance space will become a sought-after destination for performers and audiences alike. Plans include a raised ceiling; new heating, ventilation and air conditioning; and new floors, walls and light fixtures to enhance beauty and acoustic excellence. This long-needed makeover will transform CFA’s Concert Hall into the premiere BU music venue it was always meant to be.

The goal of this campaign is to harness the potential of our facilities to create:

  • a new home for the College of Fine Arts: a special resource in the landscape of American performing and visual arts
  • an “arts centerpiece” for the Boston University campus of the twenty-first century and beyond

Future renovations to the College of Fine Arts include:

  • A full renovation of the entry arcade, which will serve as the new grand entrance to the Concert Hall and to public exhibition and performance spaces within CFA. Marked by a street-facing marquee, the new entry arcade will help identify CFA to passers-by, and become a new campus landmark alongside the well-known Agganis Arena.
  • A new graphic design lab featuring an improved space dedicated solely to the study and practice of graphic design and outfitted with up-to-date equipment in this ever-evolving field.
  • Two new Recital Halls created for performances with capacity audiences between 50 and 150.  These halls will offer ideal venues for intimate performances, master classes, juries, and exhibitions and will help house the more than 400 performances presented annually by CFA students and faculty.
  • Updated stage, lighting, walls, and audience seating in the historic Studio Theatre/TheatreLab@855, which is used year-round for classes, rehearsals, and public performances.

For a full list of planned renovations, please download a complete campaign brochure.

Learn about how you can support our ongoing renovations by contacting Stephanie Trodello, Assistant Dean of Development and Alumni Relations, at stepht@bu.edu or 617-358-5211.

Thank you to the donors who have contributed to CFA’s capital renovations to date. Without you, this important progress would not have been possible:

1675 Foundation
Christopher Barreca
Walter Charles
Aram Chobanian
Faye G. Stone and David G. Stone Charitable Fdn.
Gordon Getty
Doris Grabosky
Darrell Griffin
SungEun Han-Andersen
Judith Harris
Harry J. Bardi Irrevocable Trust
Kreindler Foundation
Andrew Lack
Massachusetts Cultural Facility Fund

Practice Studio Donors:
2010 Dean’s Advisory Board
Roger Davidson
SungEun Han-Andersen
James H. Stone Charitable Fdn.
Mary Ann Milano

Stewart F. Lane and Bonnie Comley Studio Donors
Stewart Lane and Bonnie Comley

Juliane Ethel Leilani Miller Studio Theatres – Donors:
Loren and Noanie Miller (Parents)
Herman and Joane Miller (Grandparents)
School of Theatre (Class of 2008)

David Copeland Black Box Theatre Donors
Steven and Ilise Bernstein
J. David Copeland
Michelle Copeland
Bilha Fish
Valentin Fuster
Ronald Lauder
Mary Delia Marshall
Edward Wallace