Calvin College Fine Arts Center

The Fine Arts Center(FAC) at Calvin College was one of the original buildings of the new Knollcrest campus. The FAC was opened in 1966 and featured classrooms, rehearsal rooms, offices, a large auditorium, the old Lab Theatre, and theatre shops. Until recently, the FAC played host to the English and Music departments, the Office of Conferences and Campus Events (OCCE), the FAC Auditorium, and a small costume shop.
After the construction of the Gezon Auditorium, most Calvin theatre productions moved across campus, while Music Department productions remained in the building, as they do to this day. The old Lab Theatre was located in what are now faculty offices for the English and music departments. The Communications Arts and Sciences department was located in the FAC until the opening of the DeVos Communications Center in 2002.
The FAC Auditorium seats approximately 1,000, though with the addition of seats on the stage calipers and stage lift, the capacity is increased to 1207. The auditorium is home to the Calvin Music department events, the January Series, Student Activities Office concerts, Dance Guild, Rangeela, and in the last year, Airband, and Convocation. It is estimated that the FAC has held nearly 20,000 events in its 42 year history. Three unique features of the auditorium are its well regarded acoustics, nearly silent hydraulic stage lift, and house lighting system. The house lighting system is made up of several thousand individual bulbs and gives the impression of a "starry night," giving a unique vibe to the auditorium. The auditorium also includes a computerized lighting system, extensive sound system, projection system, and a recording studio. The recording studio has made it possible to broadcast several events including the January Series across the globe.
The FAC closed for a renovation and expansion project in June 2009. While all of the unique features of the main auditorium will remain, its facilities and systems will receive a much needed upgrade. The FAC will be expanded by adding an additional . with enhancements including a 240-seat recital hall and a art gallery. It will reopen in Fall 2010 as the Covenant Fine Arts Center after $15 million in improvements.

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