A ribbon-cutting ceremony at Queens College marked the completion of renovations to the campus’ four arts venues and the start of a “renaissance” throughout the borough, said the school’s top official.
“Today is a landmark for our arts center,” said Queens College President Dr. James Muyskens. “There is no other way to describe Queens College’s vision of the future than to call it the Queens renaissance. Our aspirations are that high, our commitment is that fierce, and the impact we can have is great.”
Four arts venues within the Selma and Max Kupferberg Center for the Visual and Performing Arts — the Godwin-Ternbach Museum, Music Building, Goldstein Theatre, and Colden Auditorium — were officially reopened on June 11 after two years of interior and exterior renovations.
Renovations included redesigns and enhancements to the interior lobbies and facades, along with new landscaping and signage, and updated technical, HVAC and security systems.
“We believe that as part of this renaissance in Queens, we must expand our programs into the communities where our students and their families live and work. We can brighten so many lives by streaming live concerts and performances into schools, libraries and nursing homes by providing workshops, seminars and presentations off campus and so much more,” Muyskens said.
Officials at the institution also paid thanks to Max and Selma Kupferberg, the two benefactors who donated $10 million to the college in 2006 to support the arts.
“The borough of Queens is on the brink of perhaps the most exciting time in its history,” Muyskens said. “We are standing on the shoulders of a giant, and in this case those shoulders belong to Max Kupferberg.”
