Heyde Center for the Arts

The Heyde Center for the Arts is an art center located in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Constructed in 1907 in the Neoclassical architecture style, it is the original site of McDonell Central Catholic High School. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is currently owned and operated by the Chippewa Valley Cultural Association (CVCA).

History

The McDonell Memorial High School building was constructed in 1907 by a lumberman by the name of Alexander McDonell in memory of his wife and four children who had died before him. It was closed in 1964 when a new high school was built on the other side of town. For ten years after it was closed, the building was vandalized and allowed to deteriorate. The founding members of the CVCA saw the beauty and potential in the building and organized in 1976 to prevent the demolition of the building.

The Association went through phases of inactivity, and at times the task seemed overwhelming. The project started in the 1970s, but it was halted by a lack of money. Then the project was taken up again in the 1980s when a feasibility study was done on the chances of restoring the building. The feasibility study was decidedly pessimistic, yet the members seemed to take each negative point, turn it around until they found a positive goal to work towards. Even then, it was not until the 1990s when the CVCA reached a critical mass of people and resources that pushed them through the restoration and improvement of the building. The Heyde Center for the Arts is a testament to what a community is able to accomplish when it comes together with a singular goal and a vision. The vision that the founding Association members saw in the dilapidated, decaying building in the mid-1970s was strong and focused enough to finally rally the full and tremendous support of the entire community.

During the long and arduous process of fundraising, and the renovation and restoration of the building, the Association organized performances in many “borrowed spaces” around the city. The early performances raised money and community awareness of the goals of the Association and a sample of the performances and entertainment it would provide in the future. Licensed electricians, plumbers, carpenters, and other skilled and unskilled laborers have provided hundreds of thousands of hours of volunteer labor over the years. Over the past five years alone, more than 200 volunteers have donated well over 100,000 hours of skilled and unskilled labor to completing the restoration of the building and to managing the performances it has hosted. The most current appraisal puts the value of the building at $1.3 million dollars, and the CVCA is essentially debt-free. There are ebbs and flows associated with cash flow, but the costs associated with the restoration of the building and the improvements have been completely paid off.

More than 100,000 people a year take part in seasonal art shows and workshops, poetry readings, dance recitals, concerts and theater performances. A 17-member CVCA volunteer board manages the facility and the association boasts more than 350 members. The CVCA maintains a database of 140 actors, 160 musicians and more than 300 visual artists from west-central Wisconsin residents. In addition, it collaborates with nearly a dozen local and state agencies and organizations to provide staffing and arts opportunities for youth and adults needing special services.

External links

• Official website
• Profile of the Heyde Center for the Arts from Arts Wisconsin
• List of upcoming events at the Heyde Center for the Arts