The Performing Arts Center houses SUNY Potsdam's acclaimed Department of Theatre and Dance, and connects to The Crane School of Music. The 97,000-square-foot facility is one of the best performance venues north of New York City, with a 350-seat proscenium theater, a 200-seat black box theater and a 200-seat dance performance hall.
The Performing Arts Center's light-infused lobby with its adjacent café serves as an "arts avenue" displaying student works, while providing a variety of seating areas for socializing and collaborating. In addition, the arts avenue doubles as a special events space and reception area. The lobby also provides students with a convenient weather-protected connection from the building's southeast entry to The Crane School of Music at Bishop Hall.
The center's innovative educational resources include advanced laboratories for education, digital and audio design, drafting and lighting. The facility also features movement studios for dance and theater, as well as a recording studio, crafts and costume lab and an archive for costumes and props. A full complement of performer support spaces, including dressing rooms and a green room, are also provided.
The Performing Arts Center signals SUNY Potsdam's continued commitment to sustainability. It meets the requirements necessary to achieve a minimum of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design's (LEED) Silver certification, and the College is striving to reach Gold status.