In September 1996, the Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center was founded on the campus of the University of Alabama at Birmingham as a lasting tribute to the late Mrs. Alys Robinson Stephens, a lifelong patron of the arts and a well-known and beloved member of the Birmingham community. The Center became the home of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra as well as UAB’s Department of Music and Department o
f Theatre. The Alys Stephens Center quickly became the center for entertainment and arts education in Birmingham and central Alabama and has established itself as the premier center for arts and education in the area with more than 100,000 visitors annually. One of the most important elements of the ASC story is our collective opportunity to establish and grow community — not only among the people around us, but also within the larger, more esoteric meaning of the word. It’s about pride in ownership and infusing a sense of civic opportunity and responsibility in all that we do. We are a community of caring, like- minded, kindred spirits who come together with the common goal to inspire, educate, entertain and encourage one another to reach their full potential. We are a community in the most basic and tangible sense of the word, and together we are driven to even more. As the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s performing arts center, we are proud to serve as a bridge to the arts for the community. We educate and entertain – come and experience the arts at UAB's Alys Stephens Center.
