Welcome to the ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the brand new Fine Arts Center on our beautiful Kingston Campus on Monday, September 14, 2026 at 11 a.m. Please join the URI community, Board of Trustees, and friends of the University in the next phase of our artistic and creative endeavors.
The College of Arts and Sciences is home to an active community of artists, designers, composers, performers, and scholars. The new 3-story 71,000 sq.ft. building is designed to bring artists together and give them the physical space to inspire creativity. The fine arts, which include art, art history, music, and theatre, provide students with a range of valuable learning experiences. Further, the new Fine Arts Center represents a space that reflects the University’s artistic vision and a vibrant future. Below includes a breakdown of workspaces for each department.
Event Speakers
Fine Arts Faculty and Students
Pamela Swett, Dean, URI Arts and Sciences
Ben Anderson, Art and Art History Department Chair
David Gilliland, Interim Associate Music Department Chair
Rachel Walshe, Theatre Department Chair
Sharday Johnson ’27, Studio Art
Kacie Doran ’26, Art History
Brass Quintet performed by URI Faculty Brass Quintet (Adam Hanna, Gino Villarreal, Fritz Benz*, Jacky Ho Yin Li, Adam Crowe) and Guest Student Aidan McCrillis, led by Professor Adam Hanna.
Musical Medley performed by URI Theatre Department students and alumni, directed by Jimmy Calitri and Paula McGlasson. Stage management by Kayla Kennedy:
Amelia Connor-McCoy
Maria Day Hyde*
Jenette DelMonaco*
Valerie Ferris*
Diego Guevara*
Max Hunter
Stef Morgan*
Steve Reyes*
Jeremy Rodriguez
Amanda Ruggiero*
David Santana*
Cecilia Savage
Eva St.-Germain
Dylan Tallardy
Sarah Taylor
Emily Turtle* (Musical Director and Accompanist)
* signifies alumni
Guests and URI Leaders
Marc Parlange, President of URI
Barbara Wolfe, Provost and Executive Vice President
Valarie Lawson, Senate President
Susan Sosnowski, Senator
Kathy Fogarty, Representative
Carol Hagan McEntee, Representative
Armand Sabitoni, URI Board of Trustees Vice Chair
Charles Ruggerio, son of the late Senate President Dominick Ruggerio
A Special Thank You To Our Donors and Board of Trustees
This new Fine Arts Center represents a shared investment in artistic excellence by Rhode Island voters, our URI Board of Trustees, and the broader community. Together, they have created a vibrant hub where students, artists, and community members can engage with transformative creative experiences.
We are deeply grateful to all our donors whose extraordinary support made this vision a reality, creating a collaborative space that strengthens both our institution and our community. A special thank you to our leading donors
Howard ‘62 and Mary Frank
Virginia Stiles Kenney ’49
Newman Family, in memory of Dr. Frank J. Newman and Dr. Lucile F. Newman
In recognition of the extraordinary public service and lasting legacy of Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio, the University of Rhode Island is dedicating the Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio Choral Room in the new Fine Arts Center.
Throughout his career in public service, President Ruggerio was a steadfast advocate for higher education, economic opportunity, and investments that strengthen Rhode Island’s future. President Ruggerio understood that public universities serve as engines of opportunity and cultural vitality. His support of the Fine Arts Center project reflected a belief that the arts are essential to a well-rounded education and play a critical role in the intellectual and creative life of Rhode Island.
The Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio Choral Room will stand as a reminder to students of the value of leadership, civic engagement, and dedication to the common good.
The Space
| Art | Music | Theatre |
|---|---|---|
| 3 galleries | 20 office studios | 2 studios |
| 9 teaching & practice spaces | 22 practice rooms | 1,333 sq ft. open space used for dancing, acting, and more |
| 2 classrooms | Recording studio | |
| 1 seminar | Instrument storage | |
| 1 film | Choral room | |
| 6 faculty studios | Piano room | |
| 4 class rooms |
“Oblique” by Jill Anholt
As part of the construction and installation of the Fine Arts Center, the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) also commissioned public artwork through the state’s Allocation for Art for Public Facilities Act.
“Oblique is inspired by a non-linear, unscripted, and unpredictable creative process that all students at the Fine Arts Center of URI participate in, regardless of their area of study. The work creates a dynamic gathering space for students that is welcoming, vibrant, and interactive, allowing for completely different experiences for viewers every time the work is encountered.
From above, Oblique can be read as a collection of droplets of water that radiate energy and creativity outwards from the Fine Arts building lawn into the entire campus. Up close and within the work, Oblique is experienced more as a series of overlapping planes, shifting perspectives, oblique views, and unexpected reflections of color and provocative suggestions, all leading to the possibility of discovered synergies, connections, and unanticipated revelations, meant to help fuel the creative process and creative thinking of all those who interact with the work.”
– Jill Anholt, artist
Fine Arts Spotlights and News
Rachel Walshe directs in Rhode Island’s “Plays in Place” - Walsh and her work on "Loyalty or Liberty: Tales from Revolutionary Newport" covered by GBH. 
Five URI jazz students to perform at Newport Jazz Festival - Group will perform Aug. 2 in front of capacity crowd.
URI music professor a ‘Guitar Hero’ in teaching children around the world for past decade - Kithara Project, co-founded by Adam Levin, provides underprivileged youth a musical outlet and opportunity.
Gestures of Spirit exhibit in Providence showcases Jon Laustsen’s work - The Art and Art History Department instructor will have his work shown at Angell Street Galleries from April 18 - May 30.
The 2026 Annual Department of Art and Art History Juried Student Exhibit - The award ceremony was held on April 22 in Lippitt Hall fourth floor lobby where winners were announced.
