The Arts Center, nicknamed “The Ruby” by the Duke community, opened in 2018 and was designed by William Rawn Associates. It was established with a $25 million founding gift from philanthropist and Duke alumnus David Rubenstein (Trinity ‘70) in 2015. The 70,000 square-foot building has flexible multipurpose studios, dance studios, seminar classrooms, a collaborative workspace with 3D printers and laser cutters, the von der Heyden Studio Theater, a film screening theater and new studios for WXDU, Duke’s student-run college radio station. This is a popular location for events to take place throughout the year like plays and other performances.

The Rubenstein Arts Center, dubbed “The Ruby,” reinvents the role of the arts within the university, extending Duke University’s culture of interdisciplinary study in science, engineering and medicine to the arts.

The Rubenstein Arts Center - 2018 - is a hub for artistic production at Duke University and a new arts venue for the Triangle. Students, faculty, visiting artists, and other collaborators come together in flexible project studios to hone their skills and create new work. Public programs—including performances, film screenings and exhibitions—launch this work into the world. The Ruby is also home to the programs in Dance and Cinematic Arts and WXDU 88.7 FM, Duke’s student-run radio station. Established with a founding gift from arts philanthropist David Rubenstein (Trinity ‘70) in 2015 and opened in 2018, the Ruby was designed with the arts in mind. The 70,000+ square foot building encompasses flexible multipurpose studios, seminar classrooms, a makerspace, the Ruby Lounge, the von der Heyden Studio Theater, a film screening theater, and more. The arts center was designed by William Rawn Associates, a Boston-based architecture firm that counts among its projects numerous arts and music facilities. It sits along Campus Drive, a short walk from the Nasher Museum of Art and the Sarah P. Duke Gardens, with glass facades through which the making of dance, film, visual art, theater and other art is visible.