Bryan Rives, director of the University of Illinois Springfield Performing Arts Center, will be retiring this summer after leading the arts and entertainment center for nine years.
UIS has appointed Sarah Brewer, current director of development for the center, to serve as interim director effective July 1. The university plans to conduct a national search for a permanent director.
Rives will officially retire as of June 30. His retirement comes as the Performing Arts Center continues to move forward with a major facility renovation. UIS launched a $1.25 million fundraising campaign to finance the renovation project and has raised more than $860,000 thus far.
The center’s Sangamon Auditorium, which has been closed since June 2025 for the renovation, is slated to begin welcoming audiences again in October.
“With the renovation wrapping up this summer, it feels like the right time to pass leadership to the next director, who can build on that momentum and continue moving the center forward as a leading venue in the community,” Rives said in a statement about his retirement.
UIS expects Brewer’s interim appointment to last one to two years while the search for Rives’ successor is underway.
Brewer has been with UIS as director of development for almost five years and will continue to work with donors and fundraising efforts while serving as interim director, according to Jen Tibbs, marketing manager for UIS Performing Arts Services.