Bringing more arts to Pullman

Art isn’t just for the rich — it’s made for everyone to be enjoyed, said John Ayers, who’s working on bringing more affordable performing arts to Pullman.

The Center for the Arts, a team working on renovations for the Gladish Community and Cultural Center, aims to create better support for artists both local and regional. The $6 million project encompasses two floors, including the mainstage auditorium, the second floor auditorium, the Little Theater, the Green Room, two lobbies and the exterior. Ayers, project manager with the Center for the Arts, said if all goes to plan, renovations could be completed by April 2024. But in the meantime, the Gladish is reaching out to the community for help.

The Gladish is a Pullman staple, said Kristin Lincoln, executive director of Center for the Arts, the historic building has supported the community for nearly a decade. Rebuilt in the 1930s after the original building burned down, the center served as a high school for most of Pullman’s history. The center went under its last renovation in the ’50s, adding a second wing including the auditorium and performance spaces.

After the current high school was built in the ’70s, the center was used for various school district needs, until a group of citizens formed Friends of Gladish and purchased the building in 1996. It then became a 501(c) nonprofit and community center.

The Gladish has a bit of everything, Lincoln said, so many agencies and activities be hosted there. The Gladish supports the Pullman Community Montessori, Parks and Recreation dance recitals, Alternatives to Violence on the Palouse, insurance offices and more. But most importantly, the Gladish is an outlet for the arts.

The mainstage auditorium is the largest in the Palouse area, Lincoln said, and it stands out from other venues with its historic charm. Many groups like Pullman Civic Theatre, Palouse Choral Society and the Washington Idaho Symphony have used the space. She added there aren’t a lot of venues in the area for artistic groups to hold performances while supporting a large audience.

Though the space provides plenty of seating, many performance arts groups have discontinued performing at the Gladish because the auditorium no longer meets their needs, citing a lack of acoustics, aged lighting and sound systems, and non-ADA-compliant seating.

The last significant renovation of the mainstage auditorium, or the Gladish itself, was in the ’50s, Lincoln said. Its performance spaces need a lot of improvement to support local and regional art.

The Center for the Arts team sees renovations as an economic stimulant.

While improving the existing spaces within the Gladish, Ayers said the center can bring more money into Pullman by attracting traveling performance groups to the area. This will promote tourism and more business for downtown shops as well.

Ayers said bringing groups to Pullman will also make arts more affordable to the community, allowing people to see shows without driving outside the Palouse.

“A fundamental mission of ours is to see how to make the arts more attractive for lower income people,” Ayers said. “If we can attract groups to Pullman and make prices affordable, we can bring more unserved people in.”

Rather than build a new performing arts center in Pullman, the Center for the Arts is opting to improve existing spaces. It’s cheaper, too, Lincoln said — building a new center from the ground up would cost around $40 million.

The Center for the Arts needs $6 million to complete its projects. Currently, $616,052 has been raised, according to its website. Ayers said if they garner enough support, construction could begin in April 2023 and be completed by April 2024.

Renovations include building a second bridge on the parking lot entrance of Gladish to make finding auditoriums easier. They will also be remodeling the exterior of the building, adding large windows to let in natural light. They will add an elevator to make floors more accessible and ADA-compliant.

All performance spaces will see a complete remodel from floor to ceiling, replacing carpet, lighting and outdated fixtures. The mainstage auditorium and second floor auditorium will receive a tech booth, box office and elevated seating to improve acoustics. In the Little Theater, they will remodel seating to give less of a “band room feel,” Lincoln said. The Green Room will be turned into a recording space that can be rented out by the community. The two lobbies will be completely made over to look more modern, and a terrace will be installed to the roof for more venue space.

To raise funds for these projects, the Center for the Arts has created opportunities for the community to buy seats and naming rights. Seats in all theaters can be purchased for $300. People who donate for naming rights will have the opportunity to have spaces named after them — suggested donations range from $250 to $750,000. The Gladish will be holding fundraising events throughout the year to garner support. The Center for the Arts will also be applying for grants for renovation costs.

For more information about the Center for the Arts, how to donate to the Gladish or to learn more about future renovations, visit cftagladish.org.

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com or on Twitter @Emily_A_Pearce.