WAC to conduct study to determine need for new facility, additional programming
Posted on Sunday, October 29, 2006
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A feasibility study will determine if additional facilities and expanded programming at the Walton Arts Center are necessary to meet the demands of the growing region.
Anita Scism, WAC's president and chief executive officer, said staff are in the process of choosing a firm to conduct a feasibility study that will determine the center's future needs.
After sending a request for proposals to 10 consulting firms, the administrative staff received six responses. They heard oral presentations from three firms before making a final decision.
Scism said the request for proposals included specific questions about how the facility should meet the community's needs.
"There are several questions we want answered,"she said.
Some of those questions include: "What facilities are needed to meet the population growth, and what are the needs of local arts organizations?"
Scism said the facility currently struggles to fill the needs of all of the organizations in the community.
"There's a lot of need for our existing facility,"she said. Besides the extensive programming offered in-house, the University of Arkansas and several community groups and schools also host programs at the facility, she said.
"It's hard for us when everyone is clamoring for dates,"Scism said. "We're busy with about 300 events a year."
A feasibility study will determine if an additional facility is needed and where it should be located, she said.
It will also determine if new programming is needed, what type of programming the community is interested in and what the market is willing to pay in ticket prices.
Scism said the study should take about six months to complete.
In the meantime, Scism said the goal is to continue to expand programming and increase audience numbers.
"We're trying to do that now with weeklong runs of Broadway shows,"she said. Scism said she met with the Walton Arts Center Board in October 2005 to develop strategic initiatives, including efforts to attract high-profile performances and extend the center's reach to Benton County residents.
Scism said she's hoping the feasibility study will help determine the direction the center needs to take.
"We have no preconceived ideas at all,"she said. "We're excited to hear what the study tells us."
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