Gallagher-Bluedorn Perfoming Arts Center: A decade of discovery

“Ten years of one-of-a-kind experiences that enrich your life and inspire your soul, that’s what we’re celebrating,” said Steve Carignan, executive director of the University of Northern Iowa's Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center. The GBPAC is celebrating its 10th anniversary with the 2009-2010 season.

The $23-million facility was a major component of the UNI Foundation’s “Students First” campaign. The building, inspired by 19th century opera houses, has three performance spaces and can seat 2,000 for simultaneous events. All three spaces are acoustically sealed from the others, and no patron is farther than 100 feet from the stage.

Nearly 300 Artist Series performances have been offered in the last decade, from Hal Holbrook as Mark Twain to “RENT,” “Chicago” to Joan Jett.

“We’ve worked hard to bring internationally-recognized performances to UNI and we’ve been able to do it because we have a world-class venue,” said Carignan.

“We believe the community deserves high-end entertainment, and they’ve supported us in return.” The UNI School of Music and the Waterloo/Cedar Falls Symphony are the two other largest users of the building.

The GBPAC has been recognized as a leading center for performing arts education in the country, and has partnered for the past six years with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. This partnership provides professional development for teachers and integrates the use of the arts in teaching across the curriculum.

A collaboration with the Iowa Arts Council allowed the GBPAC to develop a robust teacher outreach program to enhance learning for greater student achievement. Creative Classrooms will offer 10 workshops this year in topics such as animal folklore, West African culture and history, the underground railroad and the association between math and music.

Thanks to an eight-year partnership with Allen Hospital and ongoing support by the Friends of the Gallagher-Bluedorn of the “Buck a Kid!” program and the Kaleidoscope Series, the 250,000th child will enjoy a school-time performance during this year.

“Kaleidoscope days are my favorites. I love to see kids excited by the performing arts,” Carignan said.

It's not only the local community and surrounding schools that can take advantage of the GBPAC’s programming. The success of the Kaleidoscope program and the Artist Series has led to on-the-road shows. The coming year will see performances across Iowa in Waterloo, Red Oak, Spirit Lake, Fairfield and Oelwein.

The GBPAC’s service to the state will be a big part of the future. Satellite partnerships for performances, developing arts infusion curriculum for teachers and providing professional development in the arts for educators will ensure that the arts don’t get left behind in Iowa.

“We’ve planned a special season for our anniversary, some old favorites as well as new inspirations, and some special birthday events. I invite everyone to come for a visit, either in Cedar Falls or where we’re visiting,” he said.

For more information on the GBPAC’s season, visit www.gbpac.org.

Maintained by the UNI Alumni Association
Last Modified: August 28, 2009