Shenandoah University's 600-seat Dove Center for the Arts is set to open in August 2028. It is named for donors whose $21 million gift is the school's largest ever.

Shenandoah University broke ground Thursday on a 59,000-square-foot arts center with a 600-seat performance hall. The building will be called the Wilbur and Clare Dove Center for the Arts, and the university says it will open in August 2028.

Wilbur Dove, a 1959 graduate, and his wife, Clare, gave $21 million toward the project. The university said it is the largest single gift in its 151-year history. Shenandoah announced the groundbreaking and the name the same day.

The center is going up next to the Ohrstrom-Bryant Theatre on the main campus.

What the building will have

The university lists:

  • a 600-seat hall, with 400 seats on the main floor and 200 in a balcony
  • acoustics designed for orchestras, choirs, chamber and solo music and contemporary concerts
  • a hall that can be reset for dance, multimedia events and community performances
  • studios and a gallery for the visual arts program, with rotating exhibitions of student work
  • a cafe and gathering spaces for dinners, post-show talks and educational events
Architect's rendering of the Wilbur and Clare Dove Center for the Arts: a curved, dark-clad hall with a two-story glass and gold-framed lobby facing a paved plaza with curved seating.
An architect's rendering of the finished Dove Center for the Arts. Image: courtesy of Shenandoah University

HGA, a national architecture and engineering firm, designed the building. Howard Shockey & Sons, which is based in Winchester, will build it.

The university did not give a total cost in its announcement.

Who is Wilbur Dove?

Wilbur Dove graduated in 1959 from what was then Shenandoah College, when the school was in Dayton, Virginia, before it moved to Winchester. He lived in a campus building known as The Barracks, the university said in 2018.

“Shenandoah has a warm spot in our hearts,” Dove said then.

The arts center is not the Doves’ first building at the university. Their earlier gift paid for Dove’s Nest, the third apartment building in The Village, Shenandoah’s housing for juniors and seniors behind Goodson Chapel. The university broke ground on it April 14, 2018, for 24 students. It is listed with the other Village buildings on the Village apartments page.

The $21 million gift for the arts center followed. President Tracy Fitzsimmons first announced the Wilbur and Clare Dove name at the conservatory’s convocation in September, the university said.

Who paid for it

The center is part of Shenandoah’s $100 million “Shine” fundraising campaign. Its public phase began in September 2025 to mark the university’s 150th year.

Besides the Doves, the university named these principal donors:

  • Gerald “J.J.” and Kaye Smith
  • Cecil Pruitt Jr.
  • Marjorie and John Lewis
  • Alan and Irene Wurtzel
  • Paul Battista
  • Ryuji Ueno
  • Andrew and Barbara Ferrari
  • Lauren E. Peterson
  • Jacqueline B. Mars
  • an anonymous donor

“It’s truly an honor to give back to the university that has done so much for me and my wife,” Wilbur Dove said. He said the center would give “the Winchester community a world-class facility where people can fully immerse themselves in the creative arts.”

President Tracy Fitzsimmons called the building “an incredible milestone” for the university and its conservatory.

“The arts bring people together, enrich our quality of life, and create opportunities for education, entertainment, and cultural experiences,” Mayor Les Veach said.

The ceremony ended with a skydiver landing on the site. The university said the skydiver delivered three handmade conductor batons to Fitzsimmons, the Doves and the Smiths.

What it means for you

  • A new place to see shows, in about two years. The university describes the center as a regional entertainment venue as well as a teaching building. Until it opens, Shenandoah Conservatory performances continue in its existing halls. See the Shenandoah performance calendar and our things to do in Winchester.
  • You can put your name on a seat. The university’s Luminous Legacy Seat Campaign offers naming rights on the hall’s 600 seats for $1,000 to $10,000, with multiyear pledges allowed. Details are on the Center for the Arts page.
  • Construction is on campus. The site is next to the Ohrstrom-Bryant Theatre. The university has not announced any street closures for the work. City closures are listed on our road construction and closures page.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Wilbur Dove?

Wilbur Dove is a 1959 graduate of Shenandoah, which was then Shenandoah College in Dayton, Virginia. He and his wife, Clare, gave $21 million toward the Wilbur and Clare Dove Center for the Arts in Winchester, the largest single gift in the university’s history.

What else have Wilbur and Clare Dove given to Shenandoah University?

Their gift paid for Dove’s Nest, the third apartment building in The Village, the university’s housing for juniors and seniors. Shenandoah broke ground on it April 14, 2018.

When will the Dove Center for the Arts open in Winchester?

Shenandoah University says the 600-seat center is set to open in August 2028, next to the Ohrstrom-Bryant Theatre on its main campus.