Multi-award winning actor Tony Shalhoub recently returned to southern Maine on Jan. 26 where he was the main focus of a press conference and arts campaign event held on the University of Southern Maine (USM) Portland campus. Shalhoub, who is a 1977 graduate of the USM Department of Theatre, helped announce the latest developments in USM’s on-going efforts to build a new Center for the Arts on the Portland campus. This project will include the relocation of the Dr. Alfred and Suzi Osher School of Music, currently based on the Gorham campus, which will be housed in a new multi-use building on the Deering Avenue side of the campus.

Shalhoub was presented as the new honorary chair of the building campaign, an assignment which he enthusiastically accepted, saying he will help the campaign in any way he can, as a “spokesperson, cheerleader, or whatever is needed”.

Shalhoub spoke at length in praising the high quality of the ‘70’s theater program at USM, which was then known as UMPG (University of Maine at Portland-Gorham). He named several professors and fellow students who helped him during his years in Maine and who he still remembers fondly, including retired professor Thomas Power, who was in the audience.

Significantly, Shalhoub announced a $500,000 matching challenge grant from Dan Crewe, a retired music industry executive, who is the chairperson of USM’s Great University campaign. The campaign will help to fund the building project, as well as scholarships, and investments in university programs in both Portland and Gorham. Dan Crewe now resides in the Portland area and was also present at the event. Shalhoub soon added his own dramatic news, saying that he would personally contribute $150,000 to the project as a response to Dan Crewe’s challenge.

Also speaking at the event were Jacqueline Edmondson, the president of USM, and Dannel Malloy, the chancellor of the University of Maine System. Dr Edmondson said that since she is now a Gorham resident, she will be sad to see most of the music program leave the Gorham campus, but she will be pleased to see such a significant arts building added to the Portland campus.

Chancellor Malloy commented that the Great University Campaign has already raised $44.5 million of its $46 million goal, but may need to raise a bit more, due to pandemic related increases to construction costs.

The university has stated that it is currently planning for the Departments of Theatre and Art programs to continue to be based on the Gorham campus, though music, theatre, and art will continue to have some presence on both campuses.