After almost two years of planning and renovation, the building was opened to the community on June 16, 2001. The Board of Directors was incorporated as a 501 C 3 not-for-profit in 1999, with the mission of providing the Highlands Community with a first-class, low-cost, state-of-the-art facility for nonprofit organizations within the community to use as a venue for performing arts. Many others also participated in making this dream a reality. As efforts began to underwrite the cost of the purchase and the renovation, several people stepped forward to make gifts: Sandy Cohn and Ruth Gershon, whose gift endowed the main auditorium Bill and Nell Martin, whose gift named the building for their parents and Bill Galbraith, whose contribution in memory of his wife, endowed the Reception Area. They became the third partner in this new organization, The Highlands Performing Arts Center. The final piece was put into place when the Town of Highlands agreed to accept the building and its improvements as Town property, thus creating a zoning exception. Their schedule was primarily a winter one, and that would complement the usage of the building.
It was decided that an ideal partner would be the Highlands Community Players. It was quickly realized that since the Festival only used the building for a 6-week summer season, it would be worthwhile to join with another community group that might also need a home. With that motivating dream in mind, the festival board began raising funds necessary to purchase the building. Lucas Drew, Founding Director of the Festival, to have a permanent home for their summer performances. It had been the dream for many years of Dr. In 1999, the Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival Board learned that the Community Bible Church on Chestnut Street was for sale.
0 kommentar(er)
