Staller Center for the Arts

Last updated
Staller Center for the Arts
Staller Center2.jpg
Staller Center for the Arts
Former namesStony Brook University Fine Arts Center (1975-1988)
General information
Address100 Nicolls Road
Stony Brook, NY 11794
Construction started1972
Opened1975
Website
https://www.stallercenter.com/

The Staller Center for the Arts is the main arts building at Stony Brook University, in New York State, USA. It opened in 1978 as the Stony Brook University Fine Arts Center before being renamed in October 1988 after a $1.8 million donation from the Staller family.

Contents

Located on the main campus of Stony Brook University, it consists of two main divisions. One section houses the music and art departments, while the other consists of the theatre, media, and dance departments. The Staller Center contains three black-box theaters, a recital hall, the Paul W. Zuccaire Gallery and a professional 1,000-seat performance stage that features a 40-foot movie screen and is the site of the Stony Brook Film Festival. The Staller Center has hosted several nationwide events such as the New York Science Fiction Forum in 1998 and more recently the Live Action Role Playing League's production of A Link to the Past . The black-box theaters are used by the theater arts department and Pocket Theater Club for stage performances of plays. The Staller Center has hosted speakers and performances from people including Bob Woodward, Bob Saget, Yo-Yo Ma, Tom Segura, Stephanie Kelton, Leslie Odom, Jr. and Spike Lee. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

History

In 1972, New York state legislature approved nearly $10 million for the construction of Phase 1 of the Stony Brook University Fine Arts Center, which was estimated to cost $15 million. [6] Phase 1 of the Fine Arts Center opened in 1975, consisting of classrooms, offices, rehearsal halls, a foundry, studios, and an art gallery. [7] On November 11, 1977, the Bridge to Nowhere officially opened following ten years of construction; the bridge connected Phase 1 of the Fine Arts Center with the Student Union and the Frank Melville Jr. Memorial Library. [7]

Phase II of the Fine Arts Center opened in 1979. The Phase II complex consisted of the Theatre Arts and Art Gallery, experimental theatre, two black-box theaters, a recital hall, and a 1,200-seat concert hall. [7] The Fine Arts Center was damaged by winter weather in January 1981. [8] The first Bach Aria Festival was held at the Fine Arts Center in June 1981, and the festival would become an annual event until 1997. [9]

In October 1988, the Fine Arts Center was renamed the Staller Center for the Arts after a $1.8 million donation from the Staller family, including real estate mogul Max Staller. The donation was the largest ever private donation given to the university at the time. [10]

In 1993, the Staller Center was flooded after a water main break in February, and it would reopen in May. [11] The flood caused $2 million in structural damage and an additional $1 million damage to equipment. A day after the flood, Billy Joel announced that he would donate a custom-built piano to the Staller Center. [12] Joel also donated a $250,000 Bösendorfer Imperial grand piano to the Stony Brook University music department in 2013, and it currently rests in the Staller Center recital hall. [13] [14]

Staller Center theatre Staller Center theatre, Stony Brook University.jpg
Staller Center theatre

Since 1996, the Staller Center for the Arts has produced the annual Stony Brook Film Festival. The festival attracts crowds of more than 15,000 and takes place over a span of ten days, with films being shown in the Main Stage theater. [15] [16]

The Stony Brook University Art Gallery was renamed to the Paul W. Zuccaire Gallery on April 4, 2013, in honor of Alice Zuccaire and the Paul W. Zuccaire Foundation. [17] The Zuccaire Gallery is a 5,000-square foot space that showcases professional and student exhibitions. [18]

Description

The Staller Center has five theaters as well as the Paul W. Zuccaire Gallery, which is over 5,000 square feet. The Main Stage theater contains a 40-foot screen and seats approximately 1,050; the Recital Hall seats 380, while the three black-box theaters seat from 75 to 225. [19]

Performers

In 2023, the Staller Center hosted tour dates from Corinne Bailey Rae, Pat Metheny, LeAnn Rimes and Celtic Woman's Tara McNeill. Comedians Tom Segura and Kevin James and actors Leslie Odom Jr., Kristin Chenoweth and Evan Rachel Wood also performed. [5] [20]

In 2022, the Staller Center Annual Gala was headlined by Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax and Leonidas Kavakos. [21] Comedian David Sedaris held a show at the Staller Center. [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stony Brook University</span> Public university in Stony Brook, New York

Stony Brook University (SBU), officially the State University of New York at Stony Brook, is a public research university on Long Island in Stony Brook, New York. Along with the University at Buffalo, it is one of the State University of New York system's two flagship institutions. Its campus consists of 213 buildings on over 1,454 acres of land in Suffolk County and it is the largest public university in the state of New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles B. Wang Center</span> Cultural center in Stony Brook, NY

The Charles B. Wang Center, located at Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York, in Suffolk County, on Long Island, is a building dedicated to understanding Asian and American cultures, and the interactions of these cultures with other world cultures. The center was completed in 2002, and was designed by P.H. Tuan. Building of the center was intended to be funded by Charles B. Wang through a $52 million donation to Stony Brook University, which was then the largest ever private donation to a school in the State University of New York system. Actual construction costs far exceeded the original donation, becoming a source of controversy among students and faculty at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Melville Jr. Memorial Library</span> Library in Stony Brook, New York

The Frank Melville Jr. Memorial Library is the main library at Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York. It is named for the father of philanthropist Ward Melville, who donated 400 acres of land and money to establish Stony Brook University in 1957. It originally opened in July 1963 and has massively expanded since its original construction. The library was dedicated to Melville in 1971.

The Stony Brook Film Festival, presented by Island Federal Credit Union and produced by Staller Center for the Arts at Stony Brook University, presents a program of new, independent films every summer since 1995. Features and short films from the U.S. and around the world are screened over ten days at Staller Center, which has been the venue since the festival's beginning. The festival is the brain child of the Staller Center's current director Alan Inkles. The festival continues to gain momentum and has gathered a faithful following, drawing a crowd of over 15,000 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samuel L. Stanley</span> American physician (born 1954)

Samuel L. Stanley Jr. is an American educator and biomedical researcher. He was president of Michigan State University from 2019 to November 2022, and president of Stony Brook University from 2009 to 2019. Stanley is one of the founding directors of the Midwest Regional Center of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases Research.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yoonjung Han</span>

Yoonjung "Yoonie" Han is a South Korean-born American classical pianist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolfie the Seawolf</span> Stony Brook University sports mascot

Wolfie the Seawolf is the mascot of the Stony Brook Seawolves, the athletic teams representing Stony Brook University, one of two public flagship universities in New York state. Wolfie is depicted as an anthropomorphic sea wolf and was introduced in 1995 as the Stony Brook athletic program began its transition to the NCAA's Division I level, the highest in United States collegiate athletics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University</span> Medical school of Stony Brook University

The Renaissance School of Medicine (RSOM) is the graduate medical school of Stony Brook University located in the hamlet of Stony Brook, New York on Long Island. Founded in 1971, RSOM is consistently ranked the top public medical school in New York according to U.S. News & World Report. RSOM is one of the five Health Sciences schools under the Stony Brook Medicine healthcare system.

Star Black is a poet, photographer, and artist. She has authored seven collections of poetry and taught in the MFA program at Stony Brook Southampton and at The New School.

Victor Paukstelis is a Lithuanian pianist and painter.

David Olmstead Conover is an American marine biologist and professor in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University. He was the Vice President for Research at Stony Brook University and operations manager for the SUNY Research Foundation, and until his retirement in 2020 he was Vice President for Research and Innovation at the University of Oregon. He is known for his research on the ecology of marine fishes and fisheries. His son is Adam Conover, host of Adam Ruins Everything, and his daughter is Emily Conover, scientific journalist at Science News.

Richard L. Gelfond is an American business executive and the Chief Executive Officer of IMAX Corporation.

Heather J. Lynch is an associate professor of Ecology and Evolution at Stony Brook University and the first Endowed Chair for Ecology and Evolution at Stony Brook's Institute for Advanced Computational Science. She is a 2019 laureate of the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists and a National Geographic Explorer. Lynch uses satellite remote sensing, field work and mathematical models to better understand the population dynamics of the penguins of the Antarctic Peninsula.

Joanne Davila is a clinical psychologist known for her research on the romantic relationships and mental health of adolescents and adults, including the impact of social media use on relationships and well being. She is a Professor and Associate Director of Clinical Training int the Department of Psychology, at Stony Brook University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Campus of Stony Brook University</span>

The campus of Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York, consists of 213 buildings over 1,454 acres (588 ha) of land. It is the largest public university in the state of New York in terms of land area. The campus was moved to Stony Brook in 1962 after originating in Oyster Bay, New York.

Maurizio Del Poeta is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Stony Brook University Renaissance School of Medicine. His research focuses on novel anti-fungal drug discovery and lipid-mediated fungal pathogenesis.

India Lee Pagán is an American college basketball player for the Stony Brook Seawolves of the America East Conference. She is also a member of the Puerto Rican national team.

The Center for Excellence in Wireless and Information Technology (CEWIT) was established in 2003 as the main structure in the SUNY Stony Brook University Research and Development Park, They opened the new and current building in March 2009

Gerrit Wolf is an industrial and organizational psychologist, academic, and author. He is a professor emeritus in the College of Business (COB) and emeritus Director of the Innovation Center at Stony Brook University (SBU).

References

  1. "Cutting-Edge Economist Stephanie Kelton Delivers Presidential Lecture |". SBU News. 2018-10-22. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
  2. Brown, Maya (2020-02-09). "Spike Lee delivers an authentic and timely lecture at opening of Black History Month". The Statesman. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
  3. Statesman, The (2014-09-06). "Bob Saget: raunchy comedy entertains a full house". The Statesman. Retrieved 2022-02-01.
  4. Bansen, Joan (2022-03-14). "Cellist Yo-Yo Ma Receives Honorary Doctorate in Music from Stony Brook University - SBU News" . Retrieved 2023-12-23.
  5. 1 2 Cristi, A. A. "The Staller Center's Fall 2023 Season To Feature Leslie Odom Jr., Tom Segura and More". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2023-12-23.
  6. Nyitray, Kristen J. "Research & Subject Guides: SBU: History and Timeline: Timeline: 1970-1974". guides.library.stonybrook.edu. Retrieved 2020-01-26.
  7. 1 2 3 Nyitray, Kristen J. "Research & Subject Guides: SBU: History and Timeline: Timeline: 1975-1979". guides.library.stonybrook.edu. Retrieved 2020-01-26.
  8. Nyitray, Kristen J. "Research & Subject Guides: SBU: History and Timeline: Timeline: 1980-1984". guides.library.stonybrook.edu. Retrieved 2020-01-26.
  9. "Bach Festivals & Cantata Series: Bach Aria Festival and Institute". www.bach-cantatas.com. Retrieved 2020-01-26.
  10. Nyitray, Kristen J. "Research & Subject Guides: SBU: History and Timeline: Timeline: 1985-1989". guides.library.stonybrook.edu. Retrieved 2020-01-26.
  11. Nyitray, Kristen J. "Research & Subject Guides: SBU: History and Timeline: Timeline: 1990-1994". guides.library.stonybrook.edu. Retrieved 2020-01-26.
  12. Kaufman, Marjorie (1993-03-28). "Stony Brook Rallies To Restore Arts Theater". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-12-23.
  13. Starzee, Bernadette (2013-12-23). "Stony Brook nets piano from Billy Joel | Long Island Business News" . Retrieved 2023-12-23.
  14. "Billy Joel Gives $250,000 Piano to Stony Brook University – Dan's Papers". www.danspapers.com. 2013-12-23. Retrieved 2023-12-23.
  15. "Stony Brook Film Festival". VIMOOZ. Retrieved 2020-01-26.
  16. "History | Stony Brook Film Festival". www.stonybrook.edu. Retrieved 2020-01-26.
  17. "About – Paul W. Zuccaire Gallery" . Retrieved 2020-01-26.
  18. "About the Gallery | Paul W. Zuccaire Gallery". www.stonybrook.edu. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
  19. "History | Staller Center at Stony Brook University". www.stonybrook.edu. Retrieved 2020-01-26.
  20. Cristi, A. A. "Staller Center Announces Kristin Chenoweth, Kevin James, American Ballet Theatre And More For Spring 2023!". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2023-12-23.
  21. Cristi, A. A. "Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax & Leonidas Kavakos To Headline Staller Center Annual Gala". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2023-12-23.
  22. Rabinowitz, Chloe. "Staller Center for the Arts Announces Spring 2022 Season". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2023-12-23.

40°54′57″N73°07′17″W / 40.91571°N 73.121470°W / 40.91571; -73.121470