Arts center dream closer to reality

A lot of people woke up Wednesday and found out that their dream had come true - maybe.

A story on the front page told how School District 5 had agreed to work with a local group of volunteers to try to build a performing arts center on the campus of the new Glacier High School in Kalispell.

The district already planned to spend $2.5 million for an auditorium and theater area, but it would have been a smaller facility - about 600 seats - typical of high schools.

If the proposed partnership goes through, the school and the community would get a 1,300-seat performing arts center that would be big enough to provide a venue for major concerts and speakers, as well as a smaller 250-300 seat flat-floor theater.

All the funding above the school's initial investment of $2.5 million would come from the Glacier Performing Arts Committee, not from the taxpayers. That comes to more than $11 million, and the money has to be in hand (in the form of pledges or promissory notes) within the next three weeks to ensure that the school remains on its construction schedule.

Tall order?

Undoubtedly, but the people behind the Glacier Performing Arts Committee mean business. We hope that after several years of work, they already have commitments in the pocket for a large chunk of the money needed.

Obviously what we are talking about is a need for big benefactors. The average business has already dedicated part of its annual budget to charitable giving, and most won't be able to suddenly come up with major contributions. Also, with time being so short, you probably can't raise that kind of money with small-dollar donations from the general public.

Clearly, this project is something that the public wants. If it can be built without taxpayer dollars, so much the better. And so we ask everyone to consider what you can do to help.

But we must be realistic, too. If the time constraint proves to be a hurdle that can't be overcome, then there will be other options for a performing arts center somewhere else.

As all of us know from experience, one of two things will happen with a dream: Either it will fade away into oblivion or the dreamer will wake up and get started turning it into reality.

We are confident the Glacier Performing Arts Center will be a reality, perhaps sooner rather than later.