The Emporia Gazette

February 14, 2012

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The fundraising phase is over. Now it’s time to build a new arts center.

The campaign leadership committee for the Emporia Arts Council capital campaign announced Thursday afternoon that it had met the terms of the recent $75,000 anonymous challenge grant; the arts council has reached its goal of raising $2.8 million for the construction of Emporia’s new arts center.

A stipulation of the challenge grant was that $62,000 had to be raised by the end of the month for the EAC to receive the other $75,000. Thanks to many donors, that task was achieved with a little over a week to spare.

“It feels great,” arts council executive director Melissa Windsor said. “It’s a relief, it’s exciting, and now we start on the next part of this little adventure.”

The first $2.65 million had been raised over the last three years with the help of about 340 individuals, foundations and businesses, Windsor said. The anonymous challenge provided the final push to help bring the campaign to an end. About 110 donors participated in the campaign’s final weeks.

“Some were current donors doing more, and some were brand new donors,” Windsor said. “Gifts ranged from $10 to $5,000. All were greatly appreciated.”

The donor of the $75,000 challenge has chosen to remain anonymous, Windsor said.

“The couple expressed to me their identity does not matter,” she said, but they did want a few thoughts expressed, including their pride in Emporia and its citizens and their wish to help with a project that so many will take pleasure in.

“They see this as a civic project and take great satisfaction in so many members of this community investing in its future,” Windsor said of the donors. “Quality of life does matter, they said, and they believe arts and culture are a key part of it.”

Windsor said the two started as smaller donors who increased their pledges as the campaign progressed. When they recently saw how close the campaign was to its goal, they chose to make the $75,000 challenge.

“Our donors believe in the power of philanthropy to improve our community,” Windsor said. “We are so very fortunate to all who made our dream a reality.”

The campaign to raise money for a new arts center has been going on for two years. Plans for the center were unveiled in August, 2008.

The center will be built north of the Granada Theatre and will involve razing three empty buildings that currently occupy the space. The center will hold studios and galleries, conference rooms, a kitchen, a small theatre and other features to foster an artistic environment.

The year-long construction project should begin in about a month, Windsor said.