The Case for the Performing Arts Center

Since opening in 1983, the Clark State Performing Arts Center has become the cultural heart of the community. Nearly 90,000 people visit the Center each year for some type of event, ranging from local talent to some of the world's most distinguished performers. Performers and audiences alike have been thrilled with both the beauty and quality of the state-of-the-art facility.

But in order to maintain its state-of-the-art status, equipment must be periodically replaced. Income from events covers only about half of the Center's operating costs, so additional support is needed to ensure that the Performing Arts Center can continue to serve the community with the quality we have come to expect and enjoy.

As a part of Clark State, the Center has a strong educational focus. It is the home for the College's theatre arts programs. It is a resource to our schools and our community to cultivate an interest in the arts in our young people with more than 18,000 school children attending performances at the Center each year. Through its partnership with the Kennedy Center, the Performing Arts Center provides professional development for teachers in how to make the arts integral to education. Additional funds are needed to meet the demand for these successful educational programs.

The Circle of Friends Committee was formed in 1995 to help ensure that the Performing Arts Center would have the funding to maintain its operation and programs for many years to come.