Radford cuts ribbon on Artis Center for Adaptive Innovation and Creativity

Radford University celebrated the opening of its new Artis Center for Adaptive Innovation and Creativity with a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony on Sept. 5.

The new center, which opened to students at the beginning of the 2024 fall semester, is a state-of-the-art complex that fuses the arts, health sciences and technology in modern teaching environments tailored to stimulate creativity and innovation. 

“Students will experience classroom settings that are tailored to their needs, designed for maximum learning and exchange … and where they can still find that out-of-the-way nook for a late-night study or a group practice session,” Radford University President Bret Danilowicz said at the sunny Thursday afternoon ceremony. “We are only just beginning to understand the Artis Center’s full potential, but the possibilities are endless.”

The 178,000-square-foot Artis Center is the largest academic building on Radford’s campus, as well as the largest capital construction project in the history of the university. The Artis Center is home to the university’s College of Visual and Performing Arts and benefits students in the Waldron College of Health and Human Services and the College of Nursing. Additionally, the Artis Center is a destination for regional K-12 school groups and community members.

The Artis Center houses a 500-seat proscenium theatre, a 200-seat studio theatre, a performance hub with learning stairs and a courtyard with an amphitheater. 

Educational spaces include a group clinic space with six clinic spaces and observation rooms, a large active-learning classroom for nursing, a recording studio, photography and ceramics labs, makerspace, fashion and interior design studios, active-learning classrooms, dance studios, theatre studios and shops, drawing and painting studios and classrooms for music education and music therapy.

In his remarks, Danilowicz expressed appreciation to Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin for continued support and investment in the Artis Center project. He acknowledged and thanked elected officials in attendance, including U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, Virginia State Sen. Travis Hackworth, Virginia Del. Jason Ballard, Radford Mayor David Horton and members of the Radford City Council, as well as representatives from the offices of U.S. Sen. Mark Warren and Va. Del. Chris Obenshain. In attendance, too, were members of the university’s Board of Visitors, including rector and alumnus Marquett Smith ’85, who also addressed the gathering.

“The Artis Center will be a central gathering place. A place where the arts and health sciences are elevated to the stature they deserve,” Smith said. “A place where students will perform for and interact with residents of our region. A place where faculty will have the tools and space to thrive as educators. Radford students and the entire community will Find Their Place. Here.”

Those last four words are the “perfect way to describe the Radford University experience,” said Onajae Edmond, a senior from Hampton, Virginia, who serves as the student representative to the Board of Visitors and is working toward a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance this spring of 2025.

Edmond said his “first taste of what makes the Artis Center special” happened two weeks ago as the fall semester began. 

“It’s open to the rest of the university and open to my peers. The entertainment industry is all about collaboration,” said the aspiring choreographer, dance teacher and performer. “Here, we have a real-world experience. We get to share our work with other artists. They can see me practicing in the dance studio. And I can see their paintings, hear their music and watch their monologues.

“We can have everyday interactions here that will inspire new ways of thinking and make us more well-rounded,” Edmond continued. “I can walk through the Artis Center and know that I’m surrounded by future studio owners, professional performers, therapists and teachers. We are destined to be successful people.”

Edmond said he and fellow Radford students feel cared for by Radford administrators, professors and staff members. “As a scholarship recipient, I get to benefit from generous gifts that make my education possible,” he said. “I know that Radford is preparing me to fulfill my dreams and make a positive difference in the lives of others.”

The Artis Center is named for H. Pat and Nancy E. Artis, the latter a 1973 Radford University graduate and the recipient of an honorary doctorate from the university in 2021. Pat Artis serves as an educator in Virginia Tech’s Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering.

Pat and Nancy Artis “have been extraordinary supporters of Radford University in all ways … volunteering together on the TOGETHER Campaign steering committee; serving as role models to inspire others to both give back and pay it forward; and providing philanthropic funds in support of facilities, student scholarships and more,” Danilowicz said.

“Pat and Nancy,” the president continued, “thank you for all you do for Radford University! You are creating a legacy at this institution that will live in perpetuity.”

The Artises have made numerous trips to campus since construction began, Pat Artis said, “Watching the building come out of the ground.

“Each visit has filled us with pride,” he continued. “We want to thank everyone that has contributed to this building, whether it be laborers, architects, site engineers, managers, university personnel, our delegates and senators in Richmond, our representatives in Washington; we can never thank each of you enough for your efforts.”

Addressing the gathering, Nancy Artis said the new center is built to educate Radford students toward bringing positive change to society.

“In an era characterized by ever more wicked problems, this building breaks down the traditional model of academic silos to encourage collaborative solutions to the problems faced by the community, the commonwealth and the world,” Nancy Artis said. 

The Artises concluded their address to the gathering by offering a “piece of advice” for current and future students who enter the Artis Center. “Your dreams are not large enough,” they said in unison. “Go for the higher.”

As the ceremony ended, the couple was presented with an original oil painting of the Artis Center, painted by Associate Professor of Art Brent Webb.