Faulkner Performing Arts Center facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jim & Joyce Faulkner Performing Arts Center
The Faulkner Performing Arts Center at the UA.
Former names	Men's Gymnasium
General information
Type	Collegiate Performing Arts Center
Architectural style	Collegiate Gothic
Address	453 N Garland Avenue
Town or city	Fayetteville, Arkansas
Elevation	1,430 ft (440 m)
Named for	Jim & Joyce Faulkner
Construction started	1936
Renovated	2015
Owner	University of Arkansas
Design and construction
Architecture firm	Haralson and Nelson, Fort Smith, Arkansas
Developer	J.H. Leveck & Son, Little Rock, Arkansas
Men's Gymnasium-University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in Arkansas Show map of Arkansas Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Garland Ave., Fayetteville, Arkansas
Area	1.1 acres (0.45 ha)
Built	1936-37
MPS	Public Schools in the Ozarks MPS
NRHP reference No.	92001103
Added to NRHP	September 4, 1992

The Jim & Joyce Faulkner Performing Arts Center is a special building on the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It is a place where people can enjoy music, theater, and other live performances.

What Does the Faulkner Center Look Like?

The Faulkner Center is a two-and-a-half-story building. It is made of light tan bricks and has limestone decorations. The building is designed in a style called Collegiate Gothic. This style often looks like old European castles or churches.

The building is mostly square. It has a pointed roof over most of it and a flat roof over the front entrance. The pointed roof has asphalt shingles, and the flat roof is covered with tar. This building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. This means it is an important historical place.

How Was the Building Used Before?

The Men's Gymnasium (1937-1955)

For many years, this building was known as the Men's Gymnasium. It was the home court for the Razorback basketball team. They moved in for the 1937–38 season.

The new gym could hold 2,500 people. This was almost twice as many as their old gym! Construction started in 1936 and finished before the fall school year of 1937. The first game was on February 4, 1938. The Razorbacks won 53-26 against TCU. The team played their home games here until the 1954–55 season. After that, they moved to Barnhill Arena.

The Space Center (2003-2006)

From 2003 to 2006, the building had a very different purpose. It was home to the university's Space Center. This center was started in 2000. It was a team effort by six different science and engineering departments.

The Space Center had a special lab called the W.M. Keck Laboratory for Planetary Simulation. Here, scientists studied planets and other space objects. They focused on places like Mars, asteroids, Pluto, and Titan. The center also had a group that studied stars and galaxies. Other groups looked at how planets form, how life might exist in space, and how to build tools for space travel.

The center offered advanced degrees for students who wanted to study space. They also had programs for younger students and the public. They even had a 20-foot planetarium for teaching! The center also published a monthly newsletter called Space Notes and a quarterly magazine called Meteorite. In 2010, the center celebrated its 10th anniversary.

The Space Center also housed the Paragould meteorite. This is the third largest meteorite ever found in North America! It has been at the center since 1988, except for a short time when it was in the library.

Becoming the Faulkner Performing Arts Center

On September 5, 2012, exciting news was announced. The building would be turned into a concert hall for performing arts. This was made possible by a generous gift of $6 million from Jim and Joyce Faulkner. The big renovation project was finished in September 2015. Now, it is a beautiful place for everyone to enjoy music and performances.