Less than one year ago, York University and the Faculty of Fine Arts celebrated the opening of The Accolade Project, York’s new teaching, exhibition and performance complex, with a week-long festival that included the dedication of The Sandra Faire & Ivan Fecan Theatre in Accolade East. Shift to 2007, and the thriving fine arts community is poised to launch an extended three-week celebration on March 9, further highlighting its resident talent and the new facilities through a multitude of public events spanning all the fine arts disciplines.
As York University and the Faculty of Fine Arts gear up for the second annual Fine Arts Festival, a number of dedication ceremonies will be held in honour of generous donors who have given exceptional support to The Accolade Project. The spaces to be dedicated are the new recital hall, cinema and student art gallery housed within the Accolade buildings.
The new art gallery in Accolade West will be dedicated as The Gales Gallery during a group exhibition showcasing work by visual arts graduate students. The dedication of the gallery 
recognizes a generous donation from community leaders H. Barry and Joy Gales. Barry Gales is a member of the York University Foundation Board of Directors.
Left: The Gales Gallery
In appreciation of a generous donation made by Timothy and Frances Price and their family, York’s new high-tech cinema will be dedicated as The Price Family Cinema. The cinema is a cutting edge 500-seat facility with a 40-foot wide screen, Christie Digital projection and 19-speaker Dolby Digital Surround Sound audio system. It also doubles as a fully wired "smart" lecture hall with a York designed, custom-built multimedia system.
Right: The Price Family Cinema
As Chair of the York University Foundation Board of Directors and vice-Chair of the York University Board of Governors, Price has demonstrated a deep commitment to education and volunteerism that extends far beyond the expansion of the fine arts facilities. He is active on several community foundation boards and public corporate boards, including his role as chairman of Brookfield Asset Management.
The recital hall is a state-of-the-art, 327-seat concert venue with an integrated recording studio. It will be dedicated as The Tribute Communities Recital Hall in appreciation of the leadership gift given by Tribute Communities towards The Accolade Project. Howard Sokolowski, CEO of Tribute Communities and a member of the York University Foundation Board of Directors, and Tribute Communities president Al Libfeld have been dedicated community participants in the Greater Toronto Area.
Left: The Tribute Communities Recital Hall
The remarkable support given by these benefactors, together with contributions from other private and corporate donors, government and many other individuals involved in shaping the Accolade Project, has helped bring about this extraordinary new fine arts education centre.
The dedications allow the University to acknowledge, in a lasting way, the generosity that enabled the completion of The Accolade Project in just two and a half years. They will also serve to remind the York community of those lending their enthusiasm and support to enhance the student experience at the University through new and improved learning environments.