The arts in Madera County are coming alive. Thanks to many great artists and galleries, the mountain communities have a thriving arts scene. The wineries and restaurants around the county are adding music and local art work to their regular fare. Summer evenings come alive with concerts in the park in Madera and Chowchilla.
But issues remain. There is not enough adequate space for groups of people to join indoors for performances. The current Circle Gallery can handle only a small number of exhibits and opportunities for local artists to show their work. Students put on their Broadway-quality performances in the cafeteria.
Why a center for the arts in Madera?
A center for the arts is a viable tool for tourism, economic development and educational support. Businesses looking for a place to locate and people looking for a place to live look for this sort of amenity. It shows a forward-thinking town that appreciates bringing people together as a community.
Visitors see an arts center as a stop off place to enjoy during their travels. This complements the Fossil Center, and other cultural attractions in Madera County.
The schools would be big users. With a third high school coming on line, the need is even bigger for a professional performance area. A theater would allow the middle schools to perform as well.
Who is involved in working on an arts center?
There have been several people over time. Over 30 years ago, Nancy Clute was instrumental in developing the Madera County Arts Council and dreamed that one day there would be an arts center. In the late 80s and 90s, Clute worked with Jim Taubert from redevelopment and with the Madera Unified School district on this effort.
Now the planning has been restarted in some part due to a substantial amount of funds received by the arts council for the purpose of building and maintaining an arts center.
Partnerships develop when there is mutual interest. The county has space that will be abandoned and needs revitalization. The city sees potential for economic growth and a large civic center for the community. They also see downtown revitalization opportunity. The school district sees venues for student performance and exhibition. The arts council sees the opportunity to enrich the lives of Madera County residents and expand our ability to encourage the arts
Can you give a brief history on where the $2.5 million trust for the downtown art center came from?
This gift was received from the Elaine Secara Trust after her death. She left half of the amount from her trust to the Madera County Arts Council to build and maintain an arts center for Madera County. Secara and her husband, Franklin, were charter member of the Arts Council and Franklin served on the first board of directors of the council. Both were huge supporters of the arts and of Madera County as a whole.
Where will the center be located?
Last fall, the Madera County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution to identify the current County Courthouse Building on Yosemite Avenue as the preferred site. This building will be vacant when the new courthouse opens and when the Probation Department and District Attorney’s Office are relocated.
This decision has caused the partnership group to move thinking forward to include envisioning the area as a civic center project, possibly including plans to restore the old County Library, also on Yosemite and to determine if there is a way to add other entities.
What will the arts center be used for besides having art galleries and visual arts theater?
A multi-use performance complex in Madera County could be used to showcase various types of visual, cultural and performing arts, including dance, music and theater. The center may offer a means of generating new investment and increased economic activity and thus, a means for revitalizing neighborhoods as patrons are drawn to local restaurants and other businesses.
The center may also become a destination for touring exhibitions, a venue for performers, and also offer an indoor and outdoor gathering place for family reunions, medium sized fundraisers, parties, art demonstrations, art fairs, and classrooms within surroundings that exude art, culture and the fabric of our community.
How will the arts center contribute to downtown revitalization?
An arts center will provide a downtown venue for arts performances and exhibitions. It may include rooms for teaching the arts and possibly studio space that artists would be able to use for their studios. All of these mean more people coming to the downtown area; people who need to eat on performance evenings, may want to go out after/before, etc.
How will the partnership get funding?
The center will be built over time as funding becomes available. There will be a major capital campaign to fund the major portion of the center.
Incremental steps need to be taken before the group can move forward to the community. Step 1 is to complete a master plan for the area. With several entities and many interested stakeholders involved, there is a need to look over the area in question with an eye of building placement, use of space for outdoor and indoor activities, the relationship between new buildings and old buildings, etc.
The partnership members are currently meeting with their board to seek contributions for phase 1—master plan and feasibility study.
Then what happens?
A master plan will come with some initial cost estimates. At that point, the community will develop a plan to involve citizens and corporations in developing a capitol campaign to move the concept to reality.
How can citizens become involved?
Thanks to all attendees who contributed their ideas about their vision for the center at the June 2015 Gala for the Arts.
Next up, A master plan development which involves engaging the citizenry as well.