The new Finkelstein Performing Arts Center opened last week at Crafton Hills College in Yucaipa.
The new 24,000-square-foot facility is designed to “elevate arts education and community engagement,” according to a news release from the college.
The “new performing arts center represents the future of arts education — where sustainability, technology, and design come together to inspire creativity,” Jason Jewell, architect and DLR Group principal, said in the release. The “design meets the evolving needs of students and faculty while inviting the broader community to engage with the performing arts meaningfully.”
A grand opening celebration was held Sept. 19 for the new facility designed by DLR Group. It replaces the old theater structure with a “vibrant, accessible, and sustainable design.”
The Finkelstein name is carried on in this new facility too.
Brothers Ruben and Lester Finkelstein gifted the 523 acres on which the college was built, Michelle Riggs, Crafton Hills College’s executive director of Institutional Advancement and Foundation, wrote in an email. “When the College began construction on its new performing arts facility, the decision was made to transfer the Finkelstein name to the new building, ensuring their legacy continues to be honored.”
Ruben Finkelstein’s granddaughter, Nancy Finkelstein attended the Sept. 19 ceremony as well.
The new facility has a 274-seat theater, a black box theater, rehearsal and recording spaces, dressing rooms and faculty offices.
The building “is targeting LEED Platinum Certification, which would be a first for a community college performing arts center in California,” DLR Group spokesperson Audrey French said in an email.
