The Shaw Center for the Arts is Baton Rouge's main performing arts venue, located in the downtown arts district near the river. The complex includes the Manship Theatre, a 330-seat venue used for theatre, dance, and music performances, and the Brunner Gallery, which shows rotating exhibitions of contemporary art with a bias toward Louisiana and Southern artists.
The building was designed by Lee Ledbetter & Associates and opened in 2005 as part of the broader effort to revitalise downtown Baton Rouge. It sits adjacent to the Old Governor's Mansion and the Shaw Center grounds include outdoor performance space used for festivals and free events. The LSU Museum of Art operates within the complex, with collections spanning American and European decorative arts and a growing collection of contemporary Louisiana work.