Scales Fine Arts Center

Named in 1979 in honor of James Ralph Scales, the 11th President of Wake Forest, this facility contains two sections that are nowadays referred to as Lower and Upper Scales. Lower Scales houses the theatre, dance, and art departments while Upper Scales is home to the music department.

The building was first dedicated as “The Fine Arts Center” in 1976. The Lower Scales space houses the Tedford stage named after professor Harold Tedford and the Ring Theatre, the Eleanor Layfield Davis Painting Studio named in honor of the Winston-Salem painter, the Mary Duke Biddle Green Room named in honor of the founder of the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation, the arts slide library which is named for Andrew Lewis Aycock, and the Hanes Art Gallery which is named after Charlotte and Philip Hanes. In 2010, a second dance studio (made from a converted airplane hanger) was added behind lower scales to increase practice space.

The Music Wing was dedicated in 1982. Brendle Recital Hall can be found in Upper Scales and is named after James David Brendle. It is the site of numerous performances and talks/speeches like the President’s State of the University Address.