Ohio University held a beam signing ceremony on April 24 for the Violet L. Patton Center for Arts Education, a new facility funded by a $50 million gift from 1938 alumna Violet L. Patton. The building, part of a facilities renewal for the Chaddock + Morrow College of Fine Arts, broke ground in April 2025 and is expected to open for students in fall 2027.

The center will house a 330-seat proscenium theater, rehearsal halls, production and studio spaces, an art gallery, and shared gathering areas designed to bring together students from across the college’s programs. “This center will be a place where students explore, create and connect in ways that extend beyond the classroom,” said university president Lori Stewart Gonzalez.

Dean Roxanne Schroeder-Arce called the building “a bold and tangible step toward a stronger and more unified College of Fine Arts.” The Patton Center is among the largest single gifts in Ohio University’s history and the largest dedicated to arts education facilities in the region.

Source: Ohio University