Beck Center for the Arts Announces Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony and Dedication

Beck Center for the Arts announces the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, March 10, 2021 from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST.

This event will respect a restricted number of participants, masked, and socially distanced format. While not open to the public, Mayor Meghan George, Cuyahoga County Councilman Dale Miller, Ohio State Senator Nickie Antonio, and State Representative Michael J. Skindell, will be in attendance.

Also on hand, Lucinda Einhouse, President & CEO of Beck Center for the Arts, with Beck Center Board Chair Patricia Oliver, joined by Capital Campaign Co-Chairs Douglas Hoffman, Ellen Todia, and Sandra Sauder. This event will be streamed on Beck Center's Facebook Live. To request video footage for this event or photos/video of the renovated spaces, please contact jgilliland@beckcenter.org.

To date the campaign has raised over $4.5M from many dedicated individuals, foundations, and corporations across Northeast Ohio. Parts of Beck Center's 100-year-old campus require renovation for increased accessibility, energy efficiency, and functionality. Capital improvements included renovations to the oldest part of our main building, bringing accessibility and state of the art classrooms to our visual arts programs, creative arts therapies, theater classes and a new dance studio, providing an inclusive environment for students of all ages and abilities.

Lucinda Einhouse states, "Completing this first phase of our renovation project during a pandemic is a testament to Beck Center's superb board leadership, the talent of our staff, and the generosity of hundreds of individuals. We are more than grateful to our community for standing by us. With the continued support of those who believe in the power of the arts, we hope to complete this "Creating Our Future" capital campaign by the end of 2021 so that we can finish the renovations and create arts experiences for generations to come." Our next phase will create a new ADA accessible entryway, a new marquee which will bring more exposure and visibility to Beck Center, new bathrooms, and reconfiguration of the customer service area. As the remaining campaign funds are secured, we will renovate the building at the southern side of the campus to create a Center for Music and Creative Arts Therapies and Raise the Roof of the main building to build a Center for Dance Education. Pat Oliver shared, "As Board Chair, I have been inspired by the passion, commitment and dedication of our Beck family to charge ahead with a major renovation in the midst of a world- wide pandemic. And as a visual arts student myself, I am thrilled for my fellow students of all ages who will thoroughly enjoy our beautiful new classrooms and studios."

Design and construction partners for the project were Bialosky Cleveland and Turner Construction. Bialosky Cleveland's previous designs include the Edgewater Beach House and American Greetings Headquarters. Turner Construction's work can be seen at Playhouse Square and the Case Western Reserve University Cleveland Clinic Health Education Campus.

Beck Center is currently producing its 87th year of Professional Theater, along with 73rd year of Youth Theater, 45 years of dance education, and 27 years of providing Creative Art Therapies to Northeast Ohio. The 3-acre campus in Lakewood is home to these, as well as a full array of classes and programs in dance, music, theater, visual arts, and community outreach.

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