Georgia Board of Regents Approves Funding for Kennesaw State University’s Arts District

KENNESAW, Ga. | Nov 11, 2025

The Georgia Board of Regents has approved funding to continue construction of Kennesaw State University’s Arts District, a visionary initiative that will unite the Robert S. Geer Family College of the Art’s four artistic disciplines - the School of Art and Design, Bailey School of Music, Department of Theatre and Performance Studies, and Department of Dance - into one dynamic campus for creativity and collaboration. 
 
The Arts District, a cornerstone project for the Geer College of the Arts (GCA), represents a generational investment in the creative future of Georgia higher education. When complete, the Arts District will bring together classrooms, studios, rehearsal spaces, galleries, performance venues and outdoor gathering areas to create a vibrant cultural hub where students, faculty and the community converge to innovate and perform. 

“We are deeply grateful for the generosity of Mr. Robert (Bob) Geer, whose commitment to the arts made this project possible,” said Arthur Liou, Dean and Audrey Bailey Morgan Distinguished Endowed Dean’s Chair of the Geer College. “Bob cared about what the arts could mean for this university and for our students. He would have been proud to see this next chapter unfold, and to know that we are carrying his vision forward with a strong sense of responsibility."

The new project approval of $21.8M in funding includes $9.5M from the Geer College naming gift and will include a 100-seat recital hall, large and small ensemble halls and practice rooms for the Bailey School of Music. It will create additional studios for the School of Art and Design, and faculty/staff offices and support areas, and relocate the textile and surface design facility from the Marietta Campus to the Arts District at Chastain Pointe. 
 
“This is more than a collection of buildings; it’s the heartbeat of a creative future,” Liou added. “The Arts District will be a living, breathing ecosystem, where creativity meets technology, and our students learn not only make art, but to be prepared to make impacts in their industries.” 

Building 200, one of the future District’s key structures, will also feature the Ann and Jim Wallace Rehearsal Hall, named in honor of longtime KSU benefactors whose recent $500,000 gift expanded the Jim and Ann Wallace Endowment for Theatre and Performance Studies to over $1 million.

“Creativity and community come together in this vision,” Liou said. “Our supporters, like Bob, Jim and Ann, are helping us build a place where students and faculty will collaborate across disciplines, push artistic boundaries and enrich the cultural life of our state.” 

Designed to be a place of inspiration for students and a source of pride for the community, the Arts District reflects KSU’s commitment to innovation, access and excellence in the arts and will serve as a cultural center for both the University and the wider region, hosting performances, exhibitions and festivals that connect Geer College of the Arts with audiences throughout Georgia and beyond. 

 

The Future of the Arts at KSU

 
 

Images are conceptual in nature

 

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