Performing Arts Center fundraising continues

By WILLIAM L. SPENCET

he Daily Inter Lake

Act Two for the proposed Glacier Performing Arts Center begins this summer, after a welcomed reprieve by a major donor.

Fundraising for the $26 million project began in March.

The initial focus was on identifying a handful of lead donors who could pledge from $1 million to $7 million in exchange for naming rights to various components, such as the main performance hall, the reception area and the center itself.

That will now be expanded to include local businesses, residents, tourists and anyone else who wants to help the 1,300-seat facility come to fruition.

"We know that to be successful, we'll need a cooperative effort among year-round residents, seasonal residents and visitors," said Jean Hagan, president of the performing arts center board, in a letter to potential donors. "With many people working together, we'll be able to build and operate a center that will be a focal point for immense enjoyment, learning and exchange of ideas."

This second phase in the fundraising effort comes after Red Lion Hotels and GVD Commercial Properties extended a critical deadline.

Earlier this year, the two firms, which co-own Kalispell Center Mall, donated three acres of land north of the mall for the center. The donation was contingent upon construction beginning by April 2007.

That tight deadline forced the GPAC board to try to identify all of the lead donors in just three months. They thought that if they didn't have about two-thirds of the total project funding before May 31, they couldn't go into the critical summer period with the momentum needed to raise the remaining third.

As it turned out, the group didn't meet the May 31 deadline, though it received about $4.6 million in pledges and made contact a number of potential contributors.

When the board met with Red Lion and GVD to apprise them of their progress, the two firms agreed to move the construction deadline back by six months, to October 2007.

"That was a huge relief," said Hagan in an interview Thursday. "We had been working under pressure, and this lets us proceed in a thoughtful and sound manner."

Hagan said the board was encouraged by the interest shown by potential donors. However, many of them wanted more time to learn about the project and to consider its merits before making a pledge. They also wanted to see whether there was adequate local support.

Shifting the construction deadline gives the board time to address both of those concerns. It also gives them two summers in which to seek pledges from seasonal visitors.

"We'll go into a 'high-profile' campaign next summer, but that will only help us get the last 10 [percent] to 15 percent," said GPAC board member Jayson Peters. "Right now we're taking a two-pronged approach. We're still working with potential lead donors, but we're also seeking pledges from local community members and businesses."

Given that the performing arts center is intended to be a regional facility, he said, "local" in this case refers to Northwest Montana.

"One of the things that strikes me is how many people see this facility as an economic driver," Peters said. "I think it could transform Kalispell and the Flathead Valley."

Plans for the 51,000-square-foot center include the 1,300-seat main performance hall and a smaller "black-box" theater with room for 250-300 people. It would be the largest facility of its kind in this region; the nearest similar centers are in Billings, Spokane and Calgary.

The main hall would be built in traditional European style, with a balcony and box seating along the sidewall and a relatively narrow width.

The glass-and-brick building also would have an extensive lobby/reception area, off-stage storage and dressing areas, as well as an outside garden and attached, 80-foot-tall "fly tower," which would be used to raise and change scenery and backdrops for the different performances.

The business plan for the center indicates it would be used for a wide variety of arts and entertainment events, including traveling Broadway-style shows, plays and musicals, concerts, dance performances, readings, guest speakers and lectures.

The $26 million price tag includes $19 million for construction and $1 million for first-year planning and operations, plus $6 million for a long-term endowment that will help keep ticket prices affordable and offset ongoing operating costs.

The intent is to have the center built and ready to open by fall 2009.

Hagan said she and other board members are available to talk to service organizations and potential donors who would like to learn more about the project. The board is also ready to expand to accommodate additional volunteers.

For more information about the Glacier Performing Arts Center, including contact information and pledge forms, visit www.glacierperformingartscenter.org.