Stevenson University Opens the Sandra and Malcolm Berman Family Performing Arts Center

Stevenson University officially opened the new Sandra and Malcolm Berman Family Performing Arts Center after a formal dedication ceremony on Tuesday, March 31.

Officiated by MPT's Jeff Salkin, the event was attended by Maryland Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller, Baltimore County Executive Kathy Klausmeier, philanthropist and Stevenson Board of Trustees member Sandra Berman, Phyllis and Louis Friedman, and Baltimore County Councilmen Izzy Patoka and Julian Jones, Jr. as well as Stevenson leadership, staff, faculty, and students. The dedication concluded with a ribbon cutting ceremony and inaugural performances by Stevenson students, alumni, and members of the Maryland Opera.

The 38,000-square-foot Berman Family Performing Arts Center is the capstone addition to Stevenson's bustling North Campus Academic Hub and represents the university's strong commitment to the arts. As the new home for the performing arts at Stevenson, the Center will enrich campus life by hosting student theater, music, and dance performances, as well as cultural events, fashion shows, and guest speakers throughout the year.

The Berman Family Performing Arts Center will support academic programs and performances in its two state-of-the-art venues-the Herman and Walter Samuelson Foundation Black Box Theatre and the Phyllis Cole Friedman Concert Hall. Both venues will serve students in Theatre and Media Performance, Fashion Design and Fashion Merchandising, and Film and Moving Image, bachelor's programs, as well as students participating in Stevenson's music and dance programs. The Berman Family Performing Arts Center will also host arts and cultural programs as part of Stevenson's Arts Alive! initiative.

The Berman Family Performing Arts Center is equipped with industry-standard technology and professional-grade equipment, including a tension wire grid ceiling and advanced digital audio systems. Students working on productions will gain hands-on production experience to help prepare them for careers in the performing arts and related industries.

"The Sandra and Malcolm Berman Family Performing Arts Center would not have been possible without the friendship and generosity of Sandra Berman and her late husband Malcolm, Phyllis and Louis Friedman, and our many other donors," said Elliot Hirshman, Ph.D., President of Stevenson. "Thanks to their support, generations of students will be inspired to explore the arts, develop their talents, and express their creativity in a truly state-of-the-art environment."

Founded in 1947, Stevenson University today serves more than 3,700 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. The University offers a traditional undergraduate experience on its 200-acre campus in Owings Mills, Maryland; graduate and professional degrees through Stevenson University Online; and a doctoral program in clinical psychology. For nearly 80 years, Stevenson has been committed to a mission and vision to meet the evolving needs of today's college students and prepare them for success in tomorrow's workforce.