With the completion of the Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts, the University of Central Arkansas, brings together all the fine arts into one facility, with state-of-the-art classroom facilities, studios, offices, storage areas and performance spaces.

“This cutting edge facility will foster partnerships and interdisciplinary collaboration across multiple academic disciplines, fuel the state’s creative economy, and draw in arts enthusiasts from across the region to UCA,” said Houston Davis, UCA president.

It is the primary home for the Music Department, as well as housing part of the Theatre Department, and the entire Visual Arts Department. The 450-seat concert hall is equipped with Transform™ Motorized Acoustical Banners that provide the variable acoustics needed to accommodate a wide variety of performances. In addition to the hall, music students will have access to five new student practice rooms, a fully equipped Percussion Suite, and five percussion practice rooms.

For rehearsals and smaller recitals, there is a choir room that seats approximately 80 people. The room features a StageTek® Seated Riser system for optimal sightlines during performances, rehearsals, and classroom instruction. Across the department, UCA has chosen Wenger’s Nota® chairs to provide the musicians with comfortable rehearsal and performance seating.

“One of the things that I appreciated was coordinating with Wenger,” said Kent Conrad, ASTC, Schuler Shook senior theatre consultant. “They were able to configure a very complicated space.”

The building also features a highly flexible 175-seat black box theater with backstage performer spaces and a scene shop, as well as a full tension grid with the latest in LED theatre lighting equipment and controls. 

“This entire Windgate facility gives theatre students the ability to collaborate with art and music students in a way that we have not seen at this university before,” said Austin Aschbrenner, technical director of the theatre at UCA.