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The Ferman Center for the Arts at The University of Tampa, which is already transforming the creative arts for both UT students and the Tampa community, will be celebrated with a public grand opening on Friday, April 1, from 5:30-7 p.m.

Intended for the public to view the new facility, the grand opening will feature UT student performances throughout the building. The public is encouraged to do self-tours of the four-story, 90,000-square-foot building, which houses all of UT’s fine and performing arts departments. The location of the building is at the southwest corner of North Boulevard and Spaulding Drive.

Performances and activities during the grand opening include:

• Students performing musical selections from the spring cabaret
• Piano, violin, cello and voice recitals
• Honors Music Recital in the Charlene A. Gordon Theater
• The University of Tampa Wind Ensemble
• Dancers performing a choreographed piece titled “Waves of Life”
• Tours of the woodshop and sculpture studio
• Demonstrations of the professional-standard recording studio that is one of the best anywhere in Florida
• Tours of the student practice rooms, the music technology lab and the piano classrooms

The Ferman Center for the Arts building is named in honor of the Ferman family, who have been involved with UT for 70 years — more than three-fourths of UT’s existence. Construction of the building was completed last year.

The Ferman Center includes the Charlene and Mardy Gordon Performance Gallery, the Saunders Foundation Art Gallery, the 200-seat Charlene A. Gordon Theater, the Liz and Jim MacLeod Dance Studios, the Key Glass Harpsichord and Organ Practice Room, a black box theater, classrooms, practice rooms, art and dance studios, faculty and administrative offices, student study spaces and more.

UT President Ron Vaughn said the Ferman Center attracts talented students and faculty to UT and is a place where they can learn, create, innovate and continue to break artistic boundaries. “The Ferman Center has also solidified UT’s place as a major cultural contributor to the exciting downtown Tampa arts community,” he said.