IU Bloomington to invest $15.7 million in major upgrades for Musical Arts Center: IU News

Indiana University will launch a nearly $16 million modernization of the Jacobs School of Music’s Musical Arts Center — one of the most iconic and technically complex performance venues in the nation — to ensure it continues to serve as a premier cultural and educational asset for Indiana.

The $15.7 million modernization of the Musical Arts Center will include upgrades to the electrical system, stage lighting and stage machinery. Photo by James Brosher, Indiana University

The project, approved today by the Indiana University Board of Trustees, includes safety upgrades and operational improvements to the building that has been the primary creative home to IU’s performing arts students since 1972.

Known as the MAC, the Musical Arts Center has long been a centerpiece of the Jacobs School’s world-renowned programs, which draw students, performers and audiences from across Indiana and around the world. Although the center was partially renovated in 1999 and expanded in 2016, this marks the most comprehensive upgrade to the 283,467-square-foot facility since it opened more than five decades ago.

“The Musical Arts Center is the heart of our performance and training mission at the Jacobs School of Music,” said Abra K. Bush, the David Henry Jacobs Bicentennial Dean of the Jacobs School. “These upgrades ensure that our students, faculty and guest artists can continue creating work at the highest artistic level in a space that meets the technical demands of today’s productions. This investment protects a treasured resource for our community and strengthens our ability to collaborate with world-renowned partners well into the future.”

The $15.7 million project targets several aging and outdated systems that faculty and staff rely on for both training and major productions. These include upgrades to the electrical system, stage lighting and stage machinery features.

The improvements will coincide with a separate roof restoration project in summer 2026 to enable efficient stewardship of resources while minimizing disruptions to academic and performance schedules.

By modernizing the MAC’s technical systems, the project is expected to create opportunities for new and expanded partnerships and co-productions with major arts and production companies, many of which require updated stage and technical systems.

The project will require additional approval from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education and the State Budget Agency.