The Grunin Center

The Jay and Linda Grunin Center
for the Arts

Who We Are

The Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts, located on the campus of Ocean County College, is a performing arts center that celebrates the arts of dance, theater, music, and visual art.

Featuring acts from across the globe, the Grunin Center’s intimate venue allows visitors to experience once-in-a-lifetime performances at our multi-venue complex, which includes the Main Stage, the Gia Maione Prima Foundation Studio Theater, the OCC Black Box Theatre, and a brand-new Art Gallery.

The Grunin Center also hosts young performers from various educational organizations, including Ocean County College students from the performing arts and fine arts programs, students from the Grunin Performing Arts Academy, and Ocean County public high school students at the Ocean County Teen Arts Festival.

We provide valuable arts access to the Central Jersey Shore, with over 100 events and 35,000 visitors annually. For more information about our programming, view our upcoming events.

Mission Statement

The Jay & Linda Grunin Center for the Arts connects communities and celebrates culture by offering vibrant visual and performing arts experiences that entertain, deepen understanding, and inspire joy and creativity. 

Vision

The Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts’ vision is to make Ocean County a cultural destination, attracting world-class performers and artists who will inspire the minds and lives of citizens of all ages.  

Values

We value:  

• Partnerships with community organizations 
• Collaboration with Ocean County College students, communities, and with artists, performers, and speakers  
• Arts education by offering arts programming for children and young adults
• Accessibility by making our spaces welcoming, affordable, and inclusive for all
• The artistic process by supporting all stages of artistic development  

 Location/Directions

The Grunin Center for the Arts is on the beautiful Ocean County College campus. For GPS directions, you can either search Google Maps for “The Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts” or enter “College Drive, Toms River, NJ” into your GPS. Once on the college campus, follow the signage for Parking Lot 2, which is located on College Drive. The Grunin Center is located right on Parking Lot 2. Parking is free.

The Grunin Center Main Stage is Building 11A on the campus map. The Main Stage entrance is located at the top of the ramp from the Parking Lot, to the left, under the causeway.

The Black Box Theater is Building 11B on the campus map. The entrance located up the stairs or ramp from the Parking Lot, through the causeway, and to the right. “Black Box Theater” is labeled above the entry doors.

The Gia Maione Prima Studio Theater is Building 12 on the campus map. The entrance is located just off the parking lot, to the right of the ramp. The entrance is the same as the entrance to the Grunin Performing Arts Academy.