Patron Information
The Fine Arts Center, located at the corner of Vine and Palmetto Streets on the UTC campus, houses the work of the Departments of Performing Arts and Visual Arts in three main venues: the Roland W. Hayes Concert Hall, Dorothy Hackett Ward Theater, and George Ayers Cress Gallery of Art.
The Hayes Concert Hall, which seats 505, is named after tenor Roland Hayes, the first male African-American concert artist to receive worldwide recognition. Over 200 performances each year occur in the Hayes Concert Hall through the Performing Arts Series, the Department of Performing Arts Music Division, Cadek Conservatory and other University and community events. It is the primary performance hall for the Department of Performing Arts Music Division and the primary on-campus venue for the George T. Hunter Lecture Series.
Named for longtime UTC Theatre Department Head Dorothy Hackett Ward, the Ward Theater seats 322. The University Theatre Company produces four plays per year in this venue, which is directly connected to scene and prop shops. The Ward Theater also serves as the primary overflow venue for the George T. Hunter Lecture Series and hosts several student-produced plays during summer months.
The Fine Arts Center is home to the institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), which presents challenging, curious, and adventurous encounters with contemporary art and artists. The ICA at UTC is the first ICA in the state of Tennessee, and is always free and open to the general public as well as to our campus community. The ICA facility comprises two exhibition galleries, including the Cress Gallery of Art. Officially founded in 2000, the Cress Gallery of Art bears the name of artist and UTC Guerry Professor of Art Emeritus George Ayers Cress (American, 1921–2008).
The ICA supports a year-round exhibition schedule including temporary special exhibitions with visiting contemporary artists, exhibitions of student work, and exhibitions featuring works from UTC's permanent collection of art. Through this program, the ICA provides exposure to work by both well-known and emerging professionals, giving our students the opportunity to examine art and design that demonstrates the professional application of the techniques, processes, and theories discussed in class. The exhibition schedule also offers opportunities for our students to present their work in a professional setting, including our annual BFA Thesis Exhibitions, Feinstein Scholarship exhibition, and annual juried student exhibition.
Learn more about the ICA and its activities here: icachatt.org
The Department of Art presents student, faculty and guest showings in the Cress Gallery throughout the school year and is home to the John and Diane Marek Visiting Artist Series.
Tickets to Fine Arts Center Events may be purchased at the Fine Arts Center Box Office from 10 am to 4 pm weekdays, by calling the Box Office at 423.425.4269, or ONLINE HERE.