About the Gambrell Center

History

History of the Gambrell Center

On the corner of Selwyn and Wellesley, Queens College dedicated the newly minted Charles A. Dana Auditorium and E. H. Little Fine Arts Center on October 5, 1966. It was part of a transformational 5-year, $3.6 million campus expansion to build a classroom building (Walker), dormitory (Barnhardt), and arts center for the growing study body. The original music building on campus (Ninniss), was renovated to become a new student center and Belk Chapel was expanded.

Designed by Charlotte firm J. N. Pease and Associates, the construction of the Little Fine Arts Center cost $1.25 million and was considered state of the art at the time with a 1040-seat auditorium, 13 teaching studios, 3 classrooms, 22 practice rooms, small recital hall, art gallery, and a drama rehearsal room. Laxton Construction broke ground for this 53,000-square-foot building on January 5, 1965. The renowned acoustical firm of Bolt, Beranek, and Newman of Boston was secured to design the sound of the performance halls having successfully completed work for Lincoln Center and the Boston Symphony at Tanglewood. Performance equipment included professional sound, lighting, and concert grand pianos handcrafted by Steinway and Bosendorfer.

The building dedication festivities began on October 4 and lasted four days with celebratory donor dinners, a convocation of dedication, a community open house, and an art exhibit on display in three locations across campus. The grand opening performance by the National Ballet Company of Washington, D.C. took place in Dana Auditorium before an invited audience. Reviewers of that inaugural cultural performance proclaimed “It seems to be a first-rate music hall! Close your eyes and the music wells around you.”

Over the next 50 years, Dana Auditorium brought notable artists and dignitaries to Charlotte audiences including Dionne Warwick, Tip O’Neil, Keb Mo, Sir Salman Rushdie, and Judy Chicago. Some of Queens’ most meaningful ceremonies such as Commencement, Convocation, and the Sed Min ceremony, where freshmen commit to the Honor Code, were held there but after decades of heavy use coupled with changing performance needs, the aging venue proved increasingly insufficient to support the flourishing arts programs at Queens University. The arts center needed an update.

On February 20, 2020, the newly renovated Sarah Belk Gambrell Center for the Arts and Civic Engagement and Sandra Levine Theatre held its grand re-opening concert with Tony Award Winning Broadway star, Sutton Foster. After an extensive $23M renovation, the expanded 63,000 square foot arts complex housed a 992-seat theatre, 150-seat recital hall, 3 art galleries, practice and classrooms, teaching studios, a music therapy suite, and the Art, Design, and Music academic programs. Managed by the Gambrell Center team, these facilities proudly host over 500 events annually ranging from presented concerts, art exhibitions, lectures, symposia, plays, films, and a wide variety of campus and community-sponsored events serving over 60,000 visitors annually.

About Queens University

Queens University of Charlotte is located in one of America’s fastest-growing cities, offering an extended classroom to students and a direct pipeline to meaningful careers for graduates. On track to become the national private university of Charlotte, Queens University serves around 2,000 students in undergraduate and masters-level programs across the liberal arts and sciences as well as the professional fields of business, communication, nursing, health, and education. Queens’ unique General Education model teaches students to think critically about some of the world’s biggest problems, beyond the boundaries of what’s expected in a college classroom. The U.S. News & World Report ranked Queens 9th among regional universities in the south in its 2022 edition of Best Colleges.

Sandra Levine Theatre

Sandra Levine Theatre is a 996-1,004-seat performance theater featuring a proscenium stage and house seating in Orchestra, Mezzanine, and Balcony levels.

Kathryn Greenhoot Recital Hall

Kathryn Greenhoot Recital Hall is a 150-seat concert hall located on the garden level of the Sarah Belk Gambrell Center.

Galleries & Lobbies

Bank of America and Loevner Galleries, on the first floor, feature rotating art exhibits by nationally-prominent artists and students and faculty alike. Also on the first floor, the Salvin Atrium and Bissell Lobby offer relaxing spaces for students to congregate and performance attendees to enjoy.

The Carolyn McMahon Center for Music

The Carolyn McMahon Center for Music hosts music classrooms, faculty offices, and the Queens music therapy clinic on the second floor.

Technical Specifications

Rent Our Spaces

We require the use of our in-house catering department for all food and beverage needs during your event. Please reach out to our Director of Catering, Jarrard Slater (slaterj@queens.edu, 704-688-2825), to get further details and pricing.

A signed contract and a 50% non-refundable deposit are required to reserve the theater. If you are interested in viewing the space, please contact Laura Kratt (krattl@queens.edu). Appointments can be made Monday – Thursday between 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.