INC NEWS - Durham Arts Council Building Celebrates 100th Anniversary...

[RW Pickle]

with City Council Meeting, Holiday Reception and Arts Performances

>From the City PR Dept.
RWP
27 Beverly

Durham’s Oldest Public Building Once Served as High School and City Hall
 
Durham, N.C. - On Thursday, December 7, 2006, the Durham Arts Council
(DAC) building will host a number of community events, including a Durham
City Council Work Session, a holiday reception and arts performances to
commemorate the building’s 100th anniversary.
 
Located at 120 Morris Street in downtown Durham, the building opened in
1906, making it the city’s oldest building in continuous public service. 
The building served as the Durham Central High School from 1906 to 1922,
Durham City Hall from 1926 to 1977, and as home to the Durham Arts Council
from 1978 to the present.
 
To celebrate the building’s tenure as Durham City Hall, city council
members will hold their normally scheduled Work Session from 1 p.m. to
4:45 p.m. in the DAC People’s Security Insurance (PSI) Theatre, the
location of the former City Council Chambers. 
 
The Work Session will be followed at by a special presentation of building
history highlights, drumming and dance by African American Dance Ensemble,
comments by Durham elected officials and community leaders, birthday cake
and sing-a-long with the Durham Children’s Choir, historic displays and
memorabilia, holiday refreshments, plus performances and demonstrations
throughout the building by a variety of arts organizations and artists
that receive support from the Durham Arts Council.  The events are free
and open to the public. 
 
“On behalf of City Council members, we are honored to help celebrate this
historic occasion by conducting the public’s business once again at this
site,” Durham Mayor William V. “Bill” Bell said.  “This building has
served Durham well, from education, to public service to the arts – the
Durham Arts Council is an indelible part of our past as well as our
future.”
 
“This is the only arts facility of its kind in the Triangle region and it
is a treasure for Durham. This building is a premier multi-arts venue for
artists, arts organizations and community groups, and is a creative home
where we share and showcase the artistic expressions of a diverse
community. We are grateful to the City and County of Durham and the many
Durham Arts Council donors for their vision in support of the creation of
an arts center in this historic building,” said Durham Arts Council
Executive Director Sherry DeVries.  “We are also grateful to Preservation
Durham, the Durham Public Library and City of Durham staff for providing
historic resources in planning this anniversary event.” 
 
This 52,000 square foot building is a pivotal structure in the Downtown
Durham Historic District as designated by the National Register of
Historic Places and locally by the City of Durham. Today, the Durham Arts
Council building attracts more than 290,000 visitors annually, making it
the third largest visitor attraction in downtown Durham.  Attendance to
programs and events at DAC has grown 81 percent in the last four years. 
 
About the Durham Arts Council, Inc.
The Durham Arts Council, Inc. (DAC), a private, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit
arts organization, manages, programs and operates this city-owned facility
seven days a week.  The DAC building and art exhibitions are open to the
public and free-of-charge daily.  Last year, more than 5,000 events,
programs, classes, performances and community events took place in the
building, totaling more than 22,000 hours of public service.
 
Through its grant programs and facility-support services, DAC provides
usage of the building to more than 20 arts organizations each year for
offices, rehearsals, meetings, exhibits and performances.  Additional arts
organizations, artists and community groups access the building through a
low-cost rental program.  DAC and eight other arts organizations live in
the building year-round, including the African American Dance Ensemble,
Carolina Wren Press, Durham Art Guild, Durham Symphony, Durham Savoyards,
Choral Society of Durham, Mallarme Chamber Orchestra and Young People’s
Performing Company. 
 
DAC is the official Local Arts Agency for the Durham region and is the
leading nonprofit organization that “promotes excellence in and access to
the creation, experience and active support of the arts for all the people
of our community.”  DAC’s programs include grants, information services
and technical assistance for individual artists and arts organizations;
year-round on-site and off-site exhibitions showcasing more than 300
artists annually; more than 500 classes annually in the performing,
visual, digital, and literary arts for children and adults; Summer Arts
Camps; CAPS public/private school residencies that serve more than 9,000
school children annually; PSI Theater performance support for arts
presenters; CenterFest, Durham’s annual street arts festival; the
bi-annual Durham Art Walk and Dinners a l’ Art.  DAC builds resources for
the arts through its Annual Arts Fund and provides leadership in
demonstrating the role of the arts in building quality of education,
quality of community and economic development.
 
The building first opened in 1906 as Durham Central High School with a red
brick Neoclassical Revival façade with columned entry and dome, designed
by architects Wheeler, Runge & Dickey.  During the 1926 City Hall
renovation, the dome was removed and a stone modillion cornice and white
stucco façade were added by architects Milburn & Heister. 
 
Its most recent renovation was completed in 1986-88 by DTW Architects,
adding the glass porticos and creating a professional quality multi-arts
center that houses the DAC staff, arts organization offices, arts
classrooms, meeting rooms, exhibit galleries, studios, theatres and
multi-purpose rental space.  This $5.3 million dollar renovation was
funded by $2.15 million in direct and bond funding from Durham County,
$2.15 in direct funding from the City of Durham, plus a Durham Arts
Council Capital Campaign that raised $1.3 million from corporations,
individuals and the State of North Carolina.
 
The DAC leases the building for $1 a year from the City.  DAC receives
partial funding through a City grant to manage, operate and program the
building with a variety of arts events and programs for the public and
arts community (the City grant funds 29 percent of DAC’s annual $2 million
budget). 
 
More information about DAC programs and giving opportunities is available
by calling (919) 560-2787 or online at  www.durhamarts.org.