The Van Wezel Foundation Donates Grand Drape to Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall

The Van Wezel Foundation donated a new grand drape to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. The $15,000 grand drape has been installed and is in use. The first show to use it was Dave Koz & Friends.

The drape itself, manufactured by Rose Brand, is comprised of two panels, each 34 feet high and 40 feet wide for a total width of 80 feet. The fabric of the drape is sewn from 25 ounce synthetic velour, fabric that is considered a heavy weight curtain fabric suitable for professional theaters. This type of fabric is inherently fire retardant, and will not need to be re-treated for fire resistance. The curtain (including the chain in the bottom hem) weighs about 900 pounds, and with its other hardware weighs 1020 lbs. Because of the counterweight fly system, it can be raised and lowered by one man.

After sampling more than two dozen options from five different manufacturers, a unanimous decision by both the Van Wezel Foundation Committee members and the Van Wezel staff was to choose an elegant wine color for the drape. The previous grand drape had suffered from more than six years of usage in damaged condition, and the Van Wezel Foundation was thrilled to be part of such a monumental transformation of the Hall. The Van Wezel Foundation is honored to carry out their continual commitment to supporting the operations of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, as well as Schooltime Performances.