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UNCW Opens New Arts Building

UNCW's new Cultural Arts Building is getting a major coming out party this weekend, with three days of free events to inaugurate the space.

By Megan V. Williams

Wilmington, NC – UNCW officially opened its new Cultural Arts Building last night, with literal fanfare.

That full-throated welcome came courtesy of a chorus of trumpets, playing to open a gala reception in the building's glass-walled lobby.

Although the venue started hosting concerts last month, this weekend's festivities are billed as the general public's chance to see the $33.5 facility, built to house the University's theater, music, and art departments. The building includes two theaters - a proscenium and a black box, a recital hall, and a small art gallery.

UNCW's Chancellor Rosemary DePaolo says she hopes the building will bring more of the surrounding community to the campus.

"This is the first time that we've had appropriate spaces for the arts," DePalo said, "and that is tremendously exciting for us."

Even as residents get a chance to check out the building, Wilmington's newest arts venue is still waiting for a permanent name. DePaolo says the university is working to cultivate donors who might be interested in naming rights.

"It's still the Cultural Arts Building, and that sounds pretty boring and generic, doesn't it? I think this is a great opportunity to have someone put their name in lights on this building," DePaolo joked, before slipping into a more serious pitch, "and really make a statement about the importance of the arts, in education particularly, but in our community as well."

Opening events for UNCW's Cultural Arts Building, including theater performances, concerts, and an art show, continue through this weekend.

Related stories about UNCW's arts programs:

Carolina Ballet Arrives at UNCW

UNCW's Theater Program Takes Center Stage

The Human Equation: Fitting Donors to Fundraisers