The Ware Center is a

performing arts center Performing arts center/centre (see spelling differences), often abbreviated as PAC, is used to refer to: * A multi-use performance space that is intended for use by various types of the performing arts, including dance, music and theatre. :The ...

located in Lancaster,

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. First opened in 2008, it has been a satellite campus of

Millersville University Millersville University of Pennsylvania (commonly known as Millersville University, The Ville, or MU) is a public university in Millersville, Pennsylvania. It is one of the fourteen schools that comprise the Pennsylvania State System of Higher E ...

since 2010. Along with the Winter Center, The Ware Center is a venue for Millersville University’s Department of Visual & Performing Arts.

History

Originally designed by architect

Philip Johnson Philip Cortelyou Johnson (July 8, 1906 – January 25, 2005) was an American architect best known for his works of modern and postmodern architecture. Among his best-known designs are his modernist Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut; the pos ...

and noted acoustician Cyril M. Harris, the $32 million building opened in 2008 as the home of the now defunct

Pennsylvania Academy of Music The Pennsylvania Academy of Music (PAM) was a private music school located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States. The academy provided music instruction to students with skill levels ranging from elementary to advanced. ...

. The building became available due to the bankruptcy of the PA Academy of Music at the same time Millersville University was planning an extensive renovation of its main campus arts center. Millersville University began leasing the building in June 2010, shortly after the PA Academy of Music left the building. The

Pennsylvania Department of General Services The Pennsylvania Department of General Services (DGS) is an agency of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania that supports the core operations of Pennsylvania state government. DGS builds all non-highway Capital projects, procures nearly $4 billion of ...

then bought the building from Union Community Bank on Millersville's behalf for $10.9 million in March 2011. $14.5 million was originally allocated by the state of Pennsylvania for purchasing the 63,000-square-foot building on Millersville's behalf, as well as equipping, furnishing and renovating it. At that point, the building was known as “Millersville University-Lancaster”, as it wasn’t until September 12, 2011 that it was renamed “The Ware Center” in honor of philanthropists Paul W. and Judy S. Ware at a dedication ceremony in the building’s main theater, Steinman Hall. In 2012, The Ware Center underwent a $2.4 million renovation to better adapt it to Millersville University's needs; among the renovations was the creation of larger classroom space and lighting and acoustic improvements to Steinman Hall.

Concerts and Events

The_Ware_Center_at_Millersville_University

The building plays host to various musical, theatrical, dance, poetry, lecture, and other artistic events throughout the year, including on Lancaster city’s First Fridays. It is also rented out as a private event venue and banquet hall for meetings, conferences, and weddings. Lancaster’s local newspaper LNP has referred to The Ware Center as “the busiest exhibit, performance, classroom and event space in Lancaster County”.

Notable Performers at The Ware Center

* Pennsylvania Ballet Company *

Lancaster Symphony Orchestra The Lancaster Symphony Orchestra is a local orchestra in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It performs year-round at the city's historical Fulton Opera House and consists of many highly talented musicians from around the area. It is a member of the America ...

Antoine Tamestit Antoine Tamestit (born 1979) is a French violist. Tamestit studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, and further with Jesse Levine at Yale University, and with Tabea Zimmermann. He won the 2001 Primrose International Viola Competition, the 2003 Yo ...

Patti LuPone Patti Ann LuPone (born April 21, 1949) is an American actress and singer best known for her work in musical theater. She has won three Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards, two Grammy Awards, and was a 2006 inductee to the American Theater Hall of Fa ...

Hilary Hahn Hilary Hahn (born November 27, 1979) is an American violinist. She has performed throughout the world as a soloist with leading orchestras and conductors and as a recitalist. She is an avid supporter of contemporary classical music, and several ...

Narek Hakhnazaryan Narek Hakhnazaryan ( arm, Նարեկ Հախնազարյան) (born October 23, 1988) is an Armenian cellist who won the gold medal for cello at the 2011 International Tchaikovsky Competition. Biography Hakhnazaryan was born and raised by his mu ...

Venue Spaces

Atrium at The Ware Center Millersville University

The Ware Center features several state-of-the-art venues for live theater and concerts, as well as conferences, meetings, and art exhibits. * Steinman Hall - a 350-seat concert hall, with acoustics designed by Cyril M. Harris, an award-winning acoustician who designed over 100 concert halls around the world, including the

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 millio ...

and the

Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

* Lyet Lobby - 3,000 square foot reception hall featuring floor to ceiling windows * Atrium - Banquet hall with a glass pyramid ceiling * Owen Salon - A third-floor room that overlooks the Lancaster skyline * Binns Room - Lecture hall used by Millersville University * Regitz Art Gallery - This gallery is open the first Friday of every month featuring a new exhibit by a local artist

Lancaster Campus of Millersville University

Since 2010, The Ware Center has been used as a Lancaster City campus of

. With over 20 classrooms, The Ware Center hosts classes for nearly 1,000 Millersville University students during Fall and Spring semesters.

Community Involvement

Due to its close proximity to Gallery Row in downtown Lancaster, The Ware Center has taken a lead in promoting arts within the city. The Community Arts Advisory Council gathers together business leaders and benefactors of the arts to promote events and seek community partnerships. The Arts Smarts summer camp provides children with the opportunity to explore building through visual and performing arts. The Regitz Art Gallery features a local artist exhibition the first Friday evening of the month during Lancaster's First Friday event. In 2014, The Ware Center received the Building the Community Award from

Central Penn Business Journal The ''Central Penn Business Journal'' is a business newspaper headquartered in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The print publication is circulated on a weekly basis and covers five counties in central Pennsylvania: Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Le ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ware Center Millersville University of Pennsylvania