Center for Arts finding home in Addison
When the dust settles on the extensive additions and renovations at Addison Trail High School, the community will find the building holds a little something for everyone interested in cultural experiences.
The Addison Center for the Arts, emerging through remodeling of what used to be the school's music wing, will be a permanent home for visual and performing arts and for programs that aim to connect residents to the arts and each other.
Scheduled to open in the fall, the facility will include a gallery to feature exhibitions by local artists as well as to host noted traveling exhibits, said Annette Leiber, president of the center's board of directors.
A studio theater - to be shared with the high school - will provide performance space for community and children's theater, concerts, classes and more, Leiber said. The center also will work with DuPage High School District 88 to use space such as the auditorium at Addison Trail.
"The goal of the (center) is to have a home for all the art in the community For many years, there (has been) no one place to call our own. A place to perform is essential," she said, adding that Addison theater troupes have performed in churches, schools, village hall, a courtroom and park district and library space.
"Art exhibitions have been held in several locations, but for a limited time frame. The Addison Art Guild, along with the Addison Center for the Arts, will have special exhibits planned that will make us proud," she said.
While the center is a collaboration of the village, the school district and the center's board, funding for the $1 million project was not part of the tax increase school district voters approved in 2007 to fund additions and renovations at Addison Trail and Willowbrook High School in Villa Park. The village and school district have contributed to the project, but funding is coming largely from grants, corporate contributions, donations and fundraisers, Leiber said.
To that end, An Evening of Art, Wine and Music on Friday, April 16, will raise money for the construction. The event will include live and silent auctions and music by a jazz quartet.
Leiber tells us more about the efforts to give Addison a Center for the Arts.
Q. What is the mission of the Addison Center for the Arts?A. The ACA is a not-for-profit organization created to advance the arts as an integral part of community life. We are committed to providing a home for performing and visual arts and dedicated to creating quality art programs to provide self-exploration, skill development and aesthetic awareness. We strive to empower the creator, audience or consumer as a way to enhance and enrich the world around us.Q. How do you work toward accomplishing that goal?A. The ACA works to enrich the community by bringing in art, dance, music and theater to residents. Experiencing the arts creates a sense of awareness and exposes individuals to a world of possibilities.Q. When and why did the organization start? How has it grown?A. Realizing a need for a "home for the arts," the Addison Cultural Arts Development Commission (under the auspices of the village of Addison) began to explore the idea of having a much-needed arts center in the community. Former Gov. James Thompson created a program called "Build by Design," and grants were available through the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. With the approval of the Addison mayor and village board, I began writing grants for this project. The commission received several grants from the Illinois Arts Council, retaining professional consultants to conduct feasibility studies, a needs assessment and preliminary design concepts.This began in 1987. The commission spearheaded this project and developed what is now the Addison Center for the Arts, which is independent of the Cultural Arts Commission. Both have similar goals, however, it's the ACA that is working to secure the center.In September 1994, the ACA was incorporated as a not-for-profit organization to advance the arts as an integral part of life in Addison and the surrounding communities.Q. What kind of successes have you had?A. The ACA has a special role in our community by providing a cultural base along with educational benefits. One example is the Lyric Opera in the Neighborhoods program, offered for the past 13 years to students who, in turn, educate their parents about a form of art not usually part of their daily lives. The ACA provides cultural and educational entertainment in all the art disciplines.Q. What challenges do you face?A. Fundraising and gaining a greater audience by making people aware of what we have to offer.Q. What are you best known for in the community? A. Our dedication to making the arts viable to everyone by providing services that create a premium art experience.Q. What do you wish the community at large knew about the Addison Center for the Arts? A. The ACA aims to enhance exposure to the arts through creative programs that allow for teaching various skills and new techniques and viewpoints. We have been working on a special project, the Arts Academy, which will be available in the near future. We have been taking surveys from people from all walks of life to find out what they would like the ACA to pursue as far as classes that would be both educational and rewarding as we plan this partnership with local businesses and apprentices for some of classes being taught.Q. Who are your members? What qualities do you look for in new members? A. The board of directors numbers 12 presently and is open to up to 20 adult members. Members are mostly from Addison, however, some are from outside the community. They must be dedicated to our mission of advancing the arts in the community and working to establish an arts center.Q. What do you expect of your members?A. The board dedicates itself to serving as the heart of our community's performing, visual and communication arts through education, unique opportunities and stimulating programs that will cultivate a lifelong appreciation for the arts in both children and adults. The ACA board meets once a month at the Addison village hall (which will change once the center opens). Everyone is expected to volunteer their time at our fundraisers and cultural programs and work on selected committees.Q. How can readers get involved?A. Call the ACA at (630) 543-4100, ext. 7416, (this number will change once the center is open). There are many levels of membership: individual, family, senior citizen and student. One might want to become part of our "Friendship Circle" and create a permanent partnership by being a sponsor or co-sponsor.If you goWhat: An Evening of Art, Wine and MusicWhy: To support construction at the Addison Center for the Arts and its cultural programingWhen: 7 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, April 16Where: Hampton Inn and Suites, 1685 W. Lake St., AddisonCost: $25, tickets available at the doorDetails: Live and silent auction of more than 100 art pieces and other items as well as music by the Papo Jazz QuartetInfo: (630) 543-4100, ext. 7416, or addisoncenterforthearts.comAddison Center for the ArtsMeetingsWhen: 6:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday each monthWhere: Addison Village Hall, One Friendship PlazaVisitors welcome? YesFees or dues: No dues; some events have feesVital statisticsSources of funding: Capital campaign, Illinois Arts Council grants, DuPage Community Foundation, Addison Mayor's Ball, Fall into the Arts, Evening of Art, Wine and Music, beneficiary of willMembers: 12 board members; 50 general membersInfo: (630) 543-4100, ext. 7416; acainfo@addisoncenterforthearts.com; addisoncenterforthearts.comFalse640480Space in Addison Trail High School is being converted into the Addison Center for the Arts. This space will be permanent gallery space for local artists and traveling exhibits.Courtesy of Addison Center for the ArtsFalse