As an arts advocate and performance artist in our valley, I encourage members of the community to vote in favor of the proposed school levy.
A portion of the funds generated by the levy will be used to upgrade the auditorium at the Community Campus. At present it is the largest enclosed performance space in our valley and it is substandard. It lacks adequate wing space and has poor acoustics. It has no sound or communication system and needs new lighting instruments.
The auditorium is regularly used by 60 organizations for such things as St. Luke's yearly workshop, real estate classes, films, dance, theater and music performances. Our high school students use it for classes almost daily. All their performances take place there. In the last 12 months the space was booked for 89 days, excluding class usage.
There is a critical need to renovate the space, first for our children so they have a 21st-century space to present their work as well as a modern facility in which to learn about the workings of a performance space. In addition, the valley needs a technically detailed auditorium with proper seating and acoustics to accommodate the high caliber of visiting artists and presenters we wish to continue to see in the valley.
There has been some concern that the last levy promised a new facility. If one looks back at the details of that proposal, a new theater was not on the list. However, with the current levy we have the opportunity to endorse an upgraded performance center.
The valley's children are our future artists, musicians, dancers, business people, government officials and citizens. How their future is shaped relies on what we do for them today. I believe we need to afford them every opportunity for success.
Claudia McCain
Ketchum
