The Wexner Center for the Arts recently celebrated the reopening of the Mershon Auditorium. For the past year, the auditorium was in the midst of renovation, undergoing many significant alterations.Among the changes made to the facility are reupholstered and refurbished seats, widened aisles and increased leg room, a new roof for the entire building, new restrooms and new entry doors. There were also drastic technical and mechanical changes made within the auditorium. Mershon Auditorium originally opened April 29, 1957, with a dedication ceremony to OSU alumnus and benefactor Ralph D. Mershon who gave the university over $11 million in the 1950’s.’It hadn’t been touched since it was dedicated in 1957,’ said Darnell Lautt, communications director for the Wexner Center. ‘It was time to have the facility freshened up to give it a warmer, more welcoming environment.’The audience will benefit the most from the renovations. ‘Audiences will certainly notice that the seats are more comfortable and spaciously figured,’ said Sherri Geldin, director of the Wexner Center for the Arts. ‘It’s simply a more handsome environment.’Changes in the auditorium were designed to increase comfort and improve sight lines and sound quality for Wexner Center audiences. The auditorium’s fixed seating capacity was reduced from 3,058 to 2,477 to allow more room for the wider aisles and increased comfort for guests. Because of this, there is now more seating room for about 30 physically disabled audience members.The total cost of renovation was more than $3.37 million. Most of the cost was covered by a state of Ohio budget appropriation. The remainder was provided by the university and the Wexner Center. The auditorium reopened last week with the Verve JazzFest, featuring jazz performers like James Carter and Nicholas Payton.To celebrate the reopening of the Mershon Auditorium, the Wexner Center will feature shows throughout the winter/spring season.