Virginia Tech’s Center for the Arts to have big effect on community
The Collaborative Performance Lab, nicknamed The Cube, serves as both a black box theater and laboratory for the new Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech. The new Institute for Creativity, Arts and Technology, housed in the center, will use the 3,000-square-foot space to test out projects such as virtual reality simulations. | Stephanie Klein-Davis, The Roanoke Times
The roar of power tools filled the cavernous space that will become a state-of-the-art 1,260-seat theater in the forthcoming Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech.
Project Manager Jon Miller demonstrated how effective the performance hall’s acoustics are even at this incomplete stage. As he led a tour group out from the theater’s highest balcony, he pointed out how the design dramatically muffled the construction noise, leaving the outside hall relatively quiet.
The center’s executive director, Ruth Waalkes, was part of the tour group. “What Ruth and the Center for the Arts have bought with the design is a world-class acoustical performance space,” Miller said.
The theater also includes two balconies, four tiers of box seats, two orchestra pit platforms that can be lowered and raised, and enough backstage space — and trapdoor space beneath the stage — to put on a Broadway-sized production.
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Ruth Walke’s single largest task now should be to develop strong branding, marketing and relationships to create (which does not currently exist) programming that will be a national/international draw for a Summer Performing Arts Concept. While there is a Summer Arts Festival this would be something that Virginia currently does not have within state boundaries – the closest idea being the Va Film Festival in Charlottesville. Even this concept would need to be far more reaching and tap into corporate arts funding, and draw concerts, exhibitions and symposiums from Europe, Asia and the US. The best comparisons would be the Aspen Music Tents (pop. 8,000 year round but up to 40,000 during tourist seasons); Spilleto in Charleston, SC; Telluride in CO and Sundance in Park City. As single draw, arts events that are massive economic engines they put those communities on the world stage – literally – and have grown solid economies that reach far and wide. With out existing research and educational draw, access to outdoors and growing downtown we would see US and international tourism increase ten fold and could support business growth that would basically occupy every empty store front in town. This would need to be a laser sharp, visionary focus and commitment that is even greater than the vision that is creating the center – Point bing WE CAN DO IT…but it starts now.
Comment by LOVE NRV — September 30, 2012 @ 12:37 pm