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Historic support from the commonwealth and the estate of Tessa and Richard Ader moves the project closer to reality.
New Milestones
A world-class center for the arts at the University of Virginia is moving closer to reality. UVA leaders on Friday celebrated reaching new funding milestones for the long-planned project that promises to enrich the student experience, elevate artistic expression and creativity, and strengthen the University’s role as an educational and cultural resource for the community and region.
By the Numbers
UVA President Scott Beardsley expressed gratitude during the Board of Visitors meeting for two recent extraordinary sources of support that have vaulted the project into a position to begin construction next year:
$205 million from the state government, approved during the Virginia General Assembly session. It is the largest allocation of state funding to a single capital project in UVA history.
An additional $70 million gift from the Tessa Ader Marital Trust upon her death in January, directed by trustees Joseph Erdman, Brian Potts, and Charles D. Fox IV. Previously, Tessa Ader and her husband Richard committed $60 million to the Center for the Arts. The combined $130 million is the largest gift to a single building project at UVA.
The Momentum
Vice Provost for the Arts Jody Kielbasa said the announcements build on momentum that has been steadily growing over the years, dating back even to the administration of the late President Emeritus John T. Casteen III (Col ’65), who, along with his wife, Betsy, consistently supported the arts. That support continued through the administrations of Presidents Emeritus Teresa Sullivan and Jim Ryan (Law ’92), and now with Beardsley, he said.
“University leadership has never lost enthusiasm for elevating and supporting the arts here on Grounds and across the community. I’m grateful to be part of an institution that values the arts, and this remarkable center will bring so many of our strengths together and create new opportunities that benefit everyone.” Jody Kielbasa Vice Provost for the Arts
“University leadership has never lost enthusiasm for elevating and supporting the arts here on Grounds and across the community. I’m grateful to be part of an institution that values the arts, and this remarkable center will bring so many of our strengths together and create new opportunities that benefit everyone.”
State Sens. Creigh Deeds and Todd Pillion were strong advocates for the budget amendment that successfully secured the state funding for the project.
“The arts are critical to a well-rounded education and an enlightened society,” Deeds said. “I am proud that the commonwealth could provide critical funding to make sure this project moves forward.”
The Location
The Center for the Arts will occupy a key position in the Emmet-Ivy Corridor, joining the School of Data Science, the Karsh Institute of Democracy, and the Virginia Guesthouse Hotel & Conference Center.
The Vision
When completed in 2030, the center will support and house an integrated arts ecosystem that includes performance, visual art, music, and dance in a collaborative setting. At its heart, the Tessa and Richard Ader Performing Arts Center will feature a 1,200-seat performance hall, a 150-seat recital venue, interdisciplinary arts spaces, and a dedicated home for dance.
The Ecosystem
The broader Center for the Arts will unite the University’s music department, dance program, and two museums, The Fralin Museum of Art and the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection. Together, these spaces will enhance teaching and learning, support groundbreaking artistic work, and deepen engagement among students, faculty, visiting artists, scholars, and the wider community, Kielbasa said.
The Advocate
Board members also saluted Joe Erdman, a 1956 College of Arts & Sciences graduate who has for decades advocated for the arts at UVA. Erdman and Richard Ader were co-trustees of The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation, which has facilitated numerous gifts to support the arts on Grounds. Erdman also played a key role in Tessa Ader’s most recent commitment to the project.
Along with the Aders, Erdman has championed spaces where the University and local communities can gather and enjoy theater, music, film, opera, and museum exhibitions.
The Legacy
At UVA, the Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation has supported The Fralin Museum of Art, the Charlottesville Symphony at the University of Virginia, the Virginia Theatre Festival, the President’s Speaker Series for the Arts, University Singers, and the Virginia Film Festival, among others.
Tessa and Richard Ader served as honorary members of the advisory board for The Fralin. Tessa Ader established the Richard M. and Tessa G. Ader Endowed Fund for Music Education at the University of Virginia in support of the Charlottesville Symphony. She also created the Ader Emerging Artist program at the Charlottesville Opera, which provides early-career opera singers with professional experience.
