The University of Southern Maine officially opened the Crewe Center for the Arts, a 40,000-square-foot facility that transforms how students learn, and how the community experiences the arts in Southern Maine, on Friday, October 3.
More than 500 guests gathered for the celebration, including a speaking lineup that featured award-winning actor and USM alum Tony Shalhoub ‘77, USM President Dr. Jacqueline Edmondson, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, Governor Janet T. Mills, and the Center’s namesake, Dan Crewe ‘22H. The opening marks the culmination of USM’s Portland campus revitalization and establishes the university as the 250th All-Steinway Institution and the first All-Steinway college in Maine.
The space embodies a vision that has guided us for years: that the arts are not extras or add-ons. They are vital to how we learn, how we connect, how we understand the world — and how we shape its future” says President Edmondson.
The Center is named in honor of legendary songwriter and producer Bob Crewe and his brother Dan Crewe, whose Crewe Foundation donated more than $6 million to make the facility possible.
“My brother Bob and I have always believed that developing artists deserve more than encouragement,” said Dan Crewe, Chair Emeritus of the USM Foundation and Chair of the Crewe Center for the Arts Campaign. “They deserve excellent instruction, spaces worthy of their talent, and a community that believes in them. That’s why the Crewe Center is the fulfillment of the legacy we built together.”
For decades, students at USM’s Dr. Alfred and D. Suzi Osher School of Music trained in Gorham’s historic Corthell Hall, a building constructed in the early 1900s to train teachers, not musicians. Even with small elevators, thin walls, and limited accessibility, future Grammy winners, Metropolitan Opera stars, and lauded music educators emerged.
Tony Shalhoub credits USM and its faculty with helping him find the confidence to pursue a career in acting, and said a facility like this unlocks a future full of possibilities for students.
“This building is a declaration, with perfect acoustics and amazing color-changing outer walls. It says to the young people of Maine: Your art matters. Your voice matters. You belong here. And you can do big things,” said Shalhoub.
The Center houses the Osher School of Music, Kate Cheney Chappell ’83 Center for the Book Arts, Great Hall Gallery, and flexible spaces for art exhibits and performances across the visual arts.
The new facility features 31 practice and teaching studios all soundproofed with specialized acoustic treatment, and a Dante digital audio network that enables instant, professional-quality recording in the performance and practice spaces throughout the building. The building is home to 26 new Steinway pianos, as well as one of Bob Crewe’s very own pianos, used to compose hits like “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” and “Lady Marmalade.” The 200-seat performance hall showcases an intricately designed ceiling that serves both aesthetic beauty and acoustic precision.
“The Crewe Center is more than a building. It is a launchpad. A student-centered, arts hub where music, dance, and visual arts come together to inspire,” said Corey Hascall ‘99, President & CEO of the USM Foundation. “It is also a gift to Portland — the cultural anchor of Southern Maine, built to invite community in and send creative talent out.”
Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, USM hosted an ArtsFest featuring performances, workshops, and interactive activities. The day culminated in the Inaugural President’s Concert, with performances by Osher School of Music faculty, students, alumni, and community members.
The Crewe Center’s angular iridescent facade has already become a landmark on USM’s Portland campus, drawing attention from passersby and signaling the university’s commitment to the arts in Maine.