About the Bologna Performing Arts Center

The Bologna Performing Arts Center, a multidisciplinary facility, opened its doors September 1, 1995. The Center houses the 1,171 seat Delta & Pine Land Theater and the 135 seat Recital Hall. The Bologna Performing Arts Center at Delta State University has earned recognition as one of the premier houses for entertainment and arts in Mississippi and the Southeast. Just recently, the BPAC earned top honors as The Best Performing Arts Venue in Mississippi, as voted on by the readers of Mississippi Magazine.

The state-of-the-art facility was built in 1994 through state funding from the Mississippi legislature, offering a rich tapestry of cultural and educational programs to serve the entire Mississippi Delta. The center attracts quality programming, superb artists and powerful performances to enrich, entertain and strengthen our Delta community. In addition, the Bologna Center has demonstrated its commitment to arts education and developed the Janice Wyatt Mississippi Summer Arts Institute, which provides a comprehensive training program in all arts disciplines.

Dr. Nino Antony Bologna

11/29/1918 – 10/05/2008
Dr. Nino Antony Bologna, a Greenville, Mississippi dermatologist and pediatrician, helped fund Delta State University’s Bologna Performing Arts Center. He is remembered for his generosity, work ethic and love for the Delta. Lifelong friend David “Boo” Ferriss stated, “I shall never forget him talking to me about his desire to do something for the arts in the Delta. After coming to Delta State’s campus and touring the new performing arts building, he was most impressed and could visualize what this center could mean to the arts of the Delta. It was with great pleasure that he and his wife, Betty, made a major gift to the center in memory of their children, Nina and Sam. The people of the Mississippi Delta and Delta State students will continue to enjoy and benefit from their generosity for years to come.”