Riney Fine Arts Center

Renovations

Our Vision

Contact University Advancement

316-295-5815 give@friends.edu

The Riney Fine Arts Center has had a home on the Friends University campus since the 1960s. While it has hosted high-quality music, dance and theatrical performances for decades, it was built without the future in mind. In order to accommodate updated equipment and create a more welcoming environment, Friends University is seeking to renovate and expand the performance spaces, entrance, lobby and more in the Riney Fine Arts Center. This project focuses on four main areas: the main entrance, the auditorium, the dance studios and black box theatre, and a chapel/recital hall. The following pages give a brief overview of some of the renovations and additions planned for those spaces.

Leave Your Mark

Sponsor a Seat and Engraved Brick Campaign

You can honor a family member or remember a loved one by sponsoring a seat or purchasing an engraved brick to be displayed in the soon to be renovated Riney Fine Arts Center.

Phase Two

Our Bold Plan

The Board of Trustees is launching the second phase of the RISE Up Capital Campaign to renovate and expand the Riney Fine Arts Center to serve students and the local community for the next fifty years.

• EntranceThe renovated entryway will be welcoming, spacious and bright. It will serve as a multi-purpose space with room to host receptions, recitals and other community-centered events. In this spirit, the new entrance will feature a kitchenette and improved storage to support events, updated bathrooms with handicap accessibility accommodations, and a refreshed art gallery to better serve our students, visiting artists and the community.
• AuditoriumThe 2020 spring musical Working was streamed with a burst of color and life, a contrast to the bleak auditorium in which it was held. We desire guests to experience live performances in a space as inspiring and vibrant as our productions. To make that possible, the current worn and uncomfortable seating will be replaced; the stage floor will be resurfaced to better support the physical health of dancers and actors; and the room will be refreshed to create a more inviting ambiance. All of these updates and renovations will position Friends University as the premiere facility for community groups to utilize as well. As many performances hosted virtual audiences this year, the discrepancies in our technological equipment and systems became clear. Updates to live-stream systems will be critical to help usher the Fine Arts Department into the next era
• Dance Studios & Black Box TheatreThe new Music Theatre program, led by Assistant Professor of Music Theatre and Dance, Sheldon Mba, is stirring up anticipation. This growth invites necessity for more rehearsal and storage space, in addition to Black Box Theatre and dance studio upgrades. The current studios are well worn and in need of new flooring. This installation would allow our dance and music theatre students to train at full capacity and with less injury risk. One of those studios will be transformed into a new Black Box Theatre. Lighting from the auditorium will be transferred to this space and the current Black Box will be repurposed for set construction and music theatre storage.
• Chapel/Recital HallThe Quaker tradition is most notably marked by quiet, reflective experiences in which to hear God’s voice. The addition of a dedicated sacred space to the west side of the Riney Fine Arts Center will make room for that same tradition. A place of respite, this peaceful chapel will hold worship gatherings, bible studies, small chapel services, Campus Ministry events, and a recital hall for smaller performances. Featuring beautiful architecture centered around open spaces and natural lighting, this space will be a stunning addition to our campus.