Building A Dream
California State University, Northridge is currently building a 160,000 square foot state-of- the-art performing arts center on its campus. Due for completion in late 2010, the new Valley Performing Arts Center will be the home of ArtsNorthridge and KCSN-FM radio. Its acoustically tunable 1700-seat main performance hall will support full-spectrum professional performing arts programming, including symphonic orchestra, dance, opera, theater, and musical theater, as well as film and lectures.
For more than 30 years, San Fernando Valley-area leaders have explored the possibility of building a large-scale regional performing arts center for the San Fernando Valley.This vision is guided by a community mission and common purpose: To enhance the quality of life and offer unique educational, economic, and cultural opportunities for nearly one-quarter of the people of the city of Los Angeles, and more than one-sixth of Los Angeles County's entire population living in the San Fernando Valley and surrounding communities.
Meeting A Need
While its population of almost two million would place it among the six largest cities in the nation, the Valley is significantly underserved in the variety and quality of cultural opportunities it offers. To experience the excitement of a Broadway-caliber production, to hear the richness of a full symphony orchestra, or to see world-class performers and entertainers, Valley residents now must travel to Hollywood, the Westside, Pasadena, Thousand Oaks or downtown Los Angeles. This puts the arts out of reach for many, including countless children.
Northridge is the Place for Arts
As the intellectual, economic, and cultural heart of the San Fernando Valley region, Cal State Northridge is ideally positioned to lead this effort. Founded in 1958, it is one of California’s largest universities, each year educating more than 35,000 students and producing 6,000 highly skilled graduates. The Valley Performing Arts Center will solidify Northridge’s role as the cultural heart of the Valley.
A resolution by the California State University System pledging basic support for building a performing arts center at each of its campuses, together with great demand among community and University leaders for such a facility, prompted Cal State Northridge to make building the Valley Performing Arts Center part of its master plan as well as a presidential priority.
A public-private partnership was formed and the Valley Performing Arts Center Campaign was launched to construct this new, signature facility at Cal State Northridge. While the campaign continues to raise the remaining $29 million, the Valley Performing Arts Center is beginning to rise on the Cal State Northridge campus. In 2010, the dream will be realized when the doors to the first great performing arts center in the San Fernando Valley open for the very first time.
Business Initiative...
An Investment in the Community
“Communities that invest in the arts reap the additional benefits of jobs, economic growth and a quality of life that positions those communities to compete in our 21st century creative economy.” (Robert L. Lynch, President and CEO, Americans for the Arts, 2002)
Studies conducted over the past twenty-five years have repeatedly found that an investment in the arts is a wise investment in the community. Not only do non-profit arts and culture organizations enrich the quality of life for residents, they produce increased income (over $150 billion nationally each year), create jobs, and enhance the economy by generating additional income for restaurants, hotels, retail stores, and other local businesses. Local, state and the federal governments also benefit, spending less than $4 billion annually to support arts and culture and reaping nearly $30 billion – a 7:1 return on investment.
In March 2008, the Campaign Business Initiative was launched to encourage local business leaders to support the campaign to build the Valley Performing Arts Center at Cal State Northridge. Providing a gathering place for the community as well as a cultural and entertainment center, the Valley Performing Arts Center will offer opportunities for individuals and businesses to come together for events, conferences, family programming and informal networking.
Performing and cultural arts programs play a vital role in educating future leaders, while serving the cultural needs of the community and providing substantial economic growth. Join us in supporting the construction of a signature building that boasts state-of-the-art performance and educational facilities – a landmark for Southern California that will enhance the quality of life for more than two million residents in the San Fernando Valley region.
For information on the Campaign Business Initiative, donor recognition, and other benefits, call Gailya Brown at 818-677-7666.