About the Fine Arts Center 

The 128,000 square foot Fine Arts Center is a multipurpose facility that is home to Lazzara Performance Hall, the School of Music, the Department of Art & Design, faculty offices, classrooms, and rehearsal spaces. The Fine Arts Center serves a dual purpose: to enhance the academic programs on campus and to provide unique professional venues for public rentals.

The 1300-seat Lazzara Performance Hall is named for Gasper and Irene Lazzara, prominent civic leaders who donated $1.25 million to the hall’s funding. The fully equipped proscenium theater has state-of-the-art lighting, sound and acoustics—and is the second largest stage in the area. It is the perfect venue for any type of special event including lectures, conferences, meetings, fundraisers, fashion shows, graduations, awards ceremonies, film screenings, theater productions, and concerts. The first floor lobby displays an intriguing sculpture installation entitled Aurora, by Tim Curtis, which was commissioned by the Florida Art in State Buildings Program.

The Fine Arts Center also manages two adjacent event venues. The Andrew A. Robinson, Jr. Theater was the first theater venue built on campus, and features an innovative design that allows the space to be converted from a 700-seat theater to three separate venues including a 400-seat theater and two 150-seat lecture halls. The Robinson Theater is named in honor of Dr. Andrew A. Robinson, Jr., community leader and lifelong educator who served as Interim President of UNF from 1980-1982, as well as founding UNF faculty and Dean of the College of Education and Human Services.

Our Mission

The Fine Arts Center is committed to stimulating the cultural and academic lives of University of North Florida students, faculty, staff, alumni and the Jacksonville community by providing unique professional venues for public rentals, which bring diverse programming to the community, both entertaining and educational.