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.