The University of Arkansas’ Fine Arts Center Reopens
April 16, 2026
The University of Arkansas’ Fine Arts Center reopens today after a detailed restoration. The beloved building, originally designed by Edward Durrell Stone in 1951, was the first multidisciplinary arts building in the United States, and catalyzed the arts at U of A. However, 70 years on, the aging structure called out to be adapted and revitalized to meet the needs of the present and future. The renewal, led by TenBerke, sought to restore the building’s original vision and re-establish the Fine Arts Center as a vibrant and flexible creative crossroads on campus and beyond.
In uncovering the original design intent and its affirmation of integrated arts practice, the project updates the Fine Arts Center for contemporary needs and steward the arts well into the future.
“This has been a thrilling collaboration to help re-establish this visionary building as a welcoming and creative crossroads on campus. We are looking forward to all the teaching, research, and creativity that the transformed Fine Arts Center will inspire over its next 75 years.”
-Noah Biklen, Senior Principal
