About the Randy Owen Center

The Randy Owen Center for the Performing Arts (ROC) stands as a transformational investment in the future of Jacksonville State University and the arts in Northeast Alabama. Designed to inspire creativity, foster collaboration, and provide world-class educational and performance opportunities, the ROC will serve as a home for all Jax State students while enriching the broader community for generations to come.

The new Randy Owen Center for the Performing Arts honors Randy Owen’s contributions to the arts and society while supporting the education and training of future generations of students. It is designed to inspire a love of the arts in all students, engage lifelong learners seeking to elevate their passions, and enrich the entire Jax State campus community. The ROC will serve as a source of hope, inspiration, and opportunity for the music and arts community throughout the region.

Named in honor of Randy Owen, Jacksonville State alumnus and lead singer of the legendary country music group Alabama, the $41.3 million project, which included a $15 million appropriation from Governor Kay Ivey and the Alabama State Legislature, combines state-of-the-art new construction with the adaptive renovation of the former First Baptist Church of Jacksonville property, officially acquired by the University in 2023.

Located at the corner of Church Street and Roebuck Waters Drive, the ROC encompasses both the newly constructed performance venue and the renovated Educational Wing, totaling more than 100,000 square feet of performance, educational, rehearsal, recording, and collaborative space.

At the heart of the facility is the 1,001 seat Phil and Denise Webb Concert Hall and the Pi Kappa Phi Lobby, designed to provide students with a professional caliber concert hall experience essential to their artistic and professional development. The venue will host concerts, theatrical productions, lectures, ceremonies, and community events while serving as a premier gathering space for the region.

Adjacent to the concert hall, the ROC Educational Wing repurposes approximately 50,950 square feet of existing space into a dynamic hub for creativity and innovation. This area includes a recital hall, rehearsal hall, backstage artist suites, recording studio, educational classrooms, office and studio spaces, the JSU Music Academy, creative cooperative workspaces, and meeting and event areas.

The renovated Educational Wing was intentionally designed to support interdisciplinary collaboration and experiential learning opportunities across the University. Students studying music, theatre, dance, film, graphic design, creative writing, communications, and other disciplines will work together in spaces built to mirror real world creative environments.

The ROC will also serve as a center for lifelong learning and community engagement. Through the JSU Music Academy and community event spaces, the facility will provide educational opportunities and artistic experiences for children, families, educators, performers, and audiences throughout the region.

Naming opportunities within the ROC remain available for individuals, families, businesses, and organizations interested in creating a lasting legacy through their support of Jacksonville State University and the arts. Opportunities range from performance and rehearsal spaces to recording suites, classrooms, dressing rooms, creative workspaces, stained glass windows, pews, and engraved seats and pavers throughout the facility.

For additional information about naming opportunities and ways to support the Randy Owen Center for the Performing Arts, please contact Joseph Munster, Senior Philanthropy Officer, at jmunster@jsu.edu or 256 782 8261.

These Programs Include...

  • The ROC Concert Hall will become the home of a Family Concert Series (themed, shorter performances).
  • The popular Tubaween Concert will be performed annually in the Concert Hall each October; the event includes a costume competition in which children will receive prizes.
  • Regional and state music and arts competitions will be hosted at the ROC. The Center's rooms will also be available for conferences and other events.
  • Honor Band camp, a short residential music camp for musicians in regional schools, will be hosted at the ROC. 
participants in the summer children's theatre camp at JSU 
  • A song-writing competition for high school students in the region will be hosted, with workshops and recordings of the winners.
  • The College of Arts and Humanities has re-launched Kaleidoscope: Festival of the Arts, a series of arts programming sponsored by JSU and held every spring. Many Kaleidoscope events will be held at the ROC.
  • The Gamecock Arts Summer Program (GASP), a residential summer program featuring camps in visual arts, creative writing, film, theater, and music, will be housed at the ROC. 
  • Kids Summer Series in the Arts, a free arts education program once a week in the summer will host sessions mid-day, so that JSU may partner with the Summer Meal Program.

Participants in Tubaween rock the stage

Children who were participants in the JSU Summer Music Academy stand with their guitars and their teachers
  • Underserved children and families will be able to take advantage of reduced rates for select events hosted at the ROC.
  • The Creative Collective Classroom and design space will provide opportunities for our students to gain professional experience assisting non-profits with branding, marketing, social media, etc. This new facility brings visibility to our experiential learning approach and expands it to include majors in music, film, and English, as well as art.
  • With the Museum and archives, we will provide additional internship experiences for history and art history majors. We will also house the JSU Gallery Director and some of the art collection in this facility.
  • Maker Space & Studios provide shared maker areas with access to 3D printer, large format printer, and specialized equipment, so that JSU students have another space and studios available for creation of art.
participants in the Shakespeare Project
  • Music Technology: The common meeting/classroom space and four practice/recording rooms will support our music technology minor and anticipated Music Industry major. We are currently developing that new major.
  • JSU Music Academy will continue to provide music lessons to children and others in the community.
  • Student organizations will be able to schedule seminar rooms, classrooms, and event space in this facility. 
  • Through The Shakespeare Project, professional development is provided to drama and English teachers in regional schools; those workshops will be delivered in the ROC.