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Arts center seeks business plan
Popular venue may try to broaden its audience
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Published: November 28, 2009
BLOWING ROCK
There's no Christmas show or holiday extravaganza this year at the Hayes Performing Arts Center.
The 348-seat auditorium and stage have been dark since the end of the summer season as the center and the Blowing Rock Stage Co. announced it was temporarily suspending operations because of finances and the bad economy.
The goal was to get back on a more secure financial footing and reopen for the summer 2010 season.
It's still not clear yet if that will happen, but the board took a major step recently in appointing a team to develop a sustainable business model.
The regional group plans to start meeting in December. It includes members from Appalachian State University and Lees-McRae College, as well as Boone and Blowing Rock, and seasonal residents.
The Hayes Center has had great artistic success since it opened, said marketing director Rick Suyao. Mickey Rooney was on stage for the inaugural show in the fall of 2006. The stage has seen musical reviews, Shakespeare, classical piano concerts, Dixieland, jazz, blues and an Elvis tribute, among other shows.
Board Chairman Ron Bryson said that despite the center's artistic success, it suffered from the nation's economic problems just as other entertainment venues did across the country. Donations dropped. Some shows were packed, but others sold about 60 percent of available seats.
The idea now is to expand the base of supporters for the center, and draw contributions and visitors from a broader region.
In October, arts consultant Deidre Simmons interviewed people and said she found an overwhelming response in favor of reopening the Hayes Center.
Bryson said that Simmons' work made it apparent that the center needs to be regional in scope.
A capital campaign raised more than the $9.6 million that it cost to build the Hayes Center. Construction started in the spring of 2005 on the three-story, 26,500-square-foot building. Its tower and stone façade are landmarks now along U.S. 321.
The effort to build the new home for the arts started in 2001, and more than $2 million was raised to buy the land and develop plans.
mmitchell@wsjournal.com
336-667-5691
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