Civic arts center designs finalized, fundraising effort gaining momentum

May 7, 2007
Karen B. Eldridge, Director of News and Public Information
865.981.8207; karen.eldridge@maryvillecollege.edu

With architectural renderings finalized and the vision for the new civic arts center clearly defined, fundraising for the $47-million facility that will be located on the Maryville College campus “has begun in earnest,” announced Kevin Clayton, CEO of Clayton Homes and member of a civic arts center fundraising committee.

“I believe this civic arts center is one of the most ambitious projects ever taken on by this community,” Clayton said, “and I’ve enthusiastically supported this initiative for years because I believe it will positively affect the quality of life in this county and region. There’s not doubt in my mind that the civic arts center will serve as a catalyst for the right type of economic growth and provide a much-needed hub for educational opportunities for our schools and students of all ages.

“I invite others to join me at this critical time to help turn the drawings and plans into a facility that is a resource unlike any other in the region,” he added.

The public is invited to a May 22 presentation to see finalized architectural renderings and hear from Maryville College administrators and community members heading the project.

The presentation is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center Music Hall on the MC campus.

Last year, Maryville College entered into a formal partnership with the cities of Maryville and Alcoa in the construction of a major performing arts facility that will include a 1,200-seat performance hall, a 250-seat recital hall, a 200-seat flexible theatre, a grand lobby offering a 250-capacity dining area, three gallery/exhibit spaces and an outdoor arts plaza that can be used for special events.

At that time, the city of Maryville agreed to contribute $9.38 million toward the project, while Alcoa leaders voted to contribute $3.75 million. Maryville College committed to working with Clayton and other members of the civic arts center fundraising committee to raise $20 million in private dollars, in addition to donating the land where the facility will be located. Nearly $7 million in federal funds has been secured for the center, and approximately $2 million is coming from state coffers.

Once open, a 30-person advisory board, composed of individuals from the College, cities and community, will guide the center’s operation. Broadway shows, concerts by touring musicians and orchestras, traveling art exhibits, film series, children’s plays and presentations by nationally recognized speakers are just some of the types of events the center will accommodate.

Changes made to initial plans

Initial renderings and a site plan for the civic arts center were unveiled in a public presentation last May, but following consultations with the architects in subsequent months, some changes were made to those plans. One major difference is seen in the art and recital hall, which will be located where the Fine Arts Center (FAC) now stands and will be connected to the main performance hall by the outdoor plaza. Previous plans had called for the art and recital hall to include new spaces added on to renovated portions of the FAC.

“After meeting with the architects, it became apparent that a brand new facility in that location would better serve the needs of the arts, the College and community and would tie in better with the rest of the center, aesthetically,” explained Dr. Gerald W. Gibson, president of the College. “The Maryville College Board of Directors is committed to a vision that the whole community can take pride in and voted in favor of new construction because going that route will give us a modern, useful and attractive facility.”

Private sector asked to pledge

Construction of a new art and recital hall is expected to add another $5 million to the already estimated $20 million that the College and Clayton committed to raising from its donors and the private sector.

As planned and agreed to, the College is currently driving the fundraising effort for the facility, with Clayton leading the charge. While the facility has been in the design-development stage, several civic leaders, corporations, alumni and friends of the College have made gifts or pledges totaling $11.5 million. With plans finalized, administrators and interested community leaders are calling on others who will benefit from the civic arts center to join the campaign. Pledges of funds to the project need to be made by this fall.

“If we do not have the majority of the money committed at that point, then we will have to make changes to the size and scope of the facility,” Clayton cautioned, urging local individuals, corporations and other organizations to give.

Currently, college administrators and community volunteers are securing major “leadership gifts” that will continue the momentum of the fundraising effort. But as important, Clayton stressed, are smaller gifts from local individuals who want to “make the civic arts center happen.”

“We are going to need everyone to invest in this vision,” he said. “This is truly a project where everyone can participate and make a difference for our community.”

Hutchens Named Executive Director for Civic Arts Center

September 9, 2008
Karyn Adams, Asst. VP for Marketing and Communications
865.981.8207; karyn.adams@maryvillecollege.edu

After a nationwide search and a very large net cast for applicants, the hunt for an Executive Director for the Civic Arts Center has come to an end, finding its ideal candidate right in the Center’s backyard.

“After a thorough and lengthy search process I am pleased to announce that Mr. Robert Hutchens, a native of Maryville, Tenn., has accepted the position of executive director for the Civic Arts Center,” announced Maryville College President Gerald Gibson in a memo to campus Monday morning.

Based upon the Civic Arts Center’s innovative public-private partnership between the cities of Maryville and Alcoa, state and federal governments, and Maryville College, a search committee including both city representatives and College faculty and staff was formed. Job descriptions and calls for applicants were placed in the spring of 2008 with the interview process occurring throughout this summer. Also included in the interview rounds were members from the general community who have been engaged with the Civic Arts Center (CAC) project from its earliest developments.

Standout Candidate

After narrowing the candidate pool to only four, bringing those individuals to Maryville for day-long interviews with city, College and community representatives, Robert Hutchens stood out as the candidate who had the vision, experience and drive to lead the difficult job of shaping and developing a signature Civic Arts Center to benefit the entire region, noted Gibson.

Prior to his upcoming role with the CAC, Hutchens served as an assistant director in Maryville College’s Center for International Education, specializing in teaching and recruiting international students for programs in English Language Learning. Related to his responsibilities with international education, Hutchens has led presentations and workshops across the globe, including locations as varied as New York, Argentina and Thailand. In addition to English, he speaks both Spanish and Thai.

But it was not his international experience that won him the job.

“One of the things that stood out about Mr. Hutchens was his long connection to Maryville, Alcoa and the College, and his strong sense of this community,” said Greg McClain, city manager of Maryville and search committee member. “I’m confident in his ability to guide the Center so that it provides opportunities for our local artists and performers to shine.”

In addition to his work with International Education at Maryville College, Hutchens has a long-standing relationship with Maryville College theatre—he began acting in the mid-60s and has been performing or directing throughout every decade since. He is a lifelong participant in arts events and programs at MC.

Alcoa City Manager Mark Johnson, another member of the search committee, noted Hutchens’ passion for the arts. “The Director of the Center must be one who has an innate love of the arts as well as an understanding of the logistics and basic business needs of such a facility. Hutchens was the candidate that best combined these talents.”

Prior to his work at the College, Hutchens served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Thailand, as an adjunct instructor at the University of Tennessee—Knoxville and as a professional actor.

Arts Experience

Hutchens’ arts administration experience stems from his service with a number of area theatres. A successful stint as the director of the Bijou Children’s Theatre and School found him hiring and supervising a repertory company of actors and teachers. While at the Bijou he directed plays, hired directors, wrote scripts, prepared study guides and collaborated with the Knox County Department of Education and teachers to plan four-play seasons. At the end of his Bijou tenure, both school enrollment and children’s theatre audiences had increased and both were profitable.

Other theatre management includes Hutchens’ work as the director of public relations and promotion of University of Tennessee Theatres. Highlights of his time as Director include providing playbill text to the Kennedy Center for the productions of Rip Van Winkle and the Tony Award-Winning Medea, and providing images to Time Magazine. Hutchens also served as host for “Backstage,” a 30-minute arts program, interviewing local and visiting artists on WUOT. His responsibilities also included meeting with the Board of Directors of UT Theatres and the Knoxville Arts Council, as well as planning and carrying out sizable fundraisers and events. At the end of his time with UT, Hutchens had almost doubled the subscription audience and substantially grown the student subscriptions. These benchmarks became the largest subscription base to be boasted by the UT Theatres.

Hutchens also served as the company manager for Hunter Hills Theatre in Gatlinburg, Tenn., where he supervised the work of a 20-35 person staff, including the oversight of box office management and accounting.

Hutchens began his undergraduate career at Maryville College but later transferred to pursue a theatre major at the University of Tennessee (at the time, theatre was not a major offered at MC). He holds a bachelor’s degree in speech and theatre from the University of Tennessee—Knoxville, has conducted graduate studies in Theatre at UTK and received a master’s degree in foreign language education from the University.

Although currently employed with the College, Hutchens will be spending the month of September transitioning from his current role in the Center for International Education to begin his responsibilities as executive director of the Civic Arts Center on Oct. 1. Hutchens and the Civic Arts Center will be located within the College’s Division of Advancement and Community Relations.

The Road Ahead

As Hutchens steps into his new role as executive director, another Civic Arts Center organization will be taking shape.

As defined by the bond agreement established to finance the Civic Arts Center, a 30-person advisory board will be established. The composition is designated to include 8 representatives of Maryville City, 4 representatives of Alcoa, 10 representatives of Maryville College, and 8 jointly appointed members. From this group, a smaller executive committee will serve as the most direct governing body of the Center and provide additional guidance and supervision to the executive director.

To date, the fundraising effort for the $47.3 million has reached $40 million with the remaining funds being privately raised. Construction of the Center is scheduled for completion late 2009 with a grand opening to take place in early 2010.

Daily Times Reports: Civic Arts Center on Schedule

By Matthew Stewart
of The Daily Times Staff

Construction of the new Civic Arts Center is on schedule and on budget, developers reported Thursday.

Representatives from Lawler-Wood, Messer Construction Co. and McCarty Holsaple McCarty updated key stakeholders on the progress of the $47 million project.

Workers are expected to start erecting structural steel on Nov. 3. Framework for the building's top story should be up in March, said Mike Merida of Messer Construction Co. "This will be a major milestone," he added.

The briefing was the first stakeholders meeting, and representatives plan to have similar quarterly meetings until the center's scheduled completion in December 2009.

Mark Cate, Lawler-Wood's vice president for facilities management, explained the center's architectural renderings to Civic Arts Center Steering Committee members, project supporters and Maryville, Alcoa and Maryville College officials.

Property development and management firm Lawler-Wood is acting as the owner's representative on the project.

The Civic Arts Center's two buildings will house a 1,200-seat performance hall, a 250-seat recital hall, a 200-seat flexible theater, a grand lobby with a 250-capacity dining area, three gallery/exhibit spaces and an outdoor arts plaza that can be used for special events.

Jeff Johnson, architect McCarty Holsaple McCarty's executive vice president and chief administrative officer, said the goal is to use historic Anderson Hall's brick and mortar color palette for the center.

Acquiring art

Johnson and the college's steering committee are also in the process of acquiring art, he said. Roughly 1 percent of the construction's budget was appropriated for commissioned art, and the artist screening process will start next week, said Johnson.

Holly Jackson-Ludlow, interim vice president for advancement and community relations, reported that $40 million -- or nearly 85 percent of the project's $47.3 million cost -- had been raised.

The college is also hoping to raise $3 million during a community fundraising campaign tentatively set for January, said Jackson-Ludlow. The center "has the potential to be everything we ever wanted to be and more," she said.

"I think everybody hopes these two beautiful buildings will be more than just two beautiful buildings. We hope they will be the exemplification of the Civic Arts Center. We want the center to attract energy, art forms and people who will mix it all up and take it back to the community," said Robert Hutchens, the center's executive director.