Wharton Center for Performing Arts at Michigan State University

Introducing the Institute

Wharton Center for Performing Arts has a long history of presenting quality programs. Over the past 25 years, the Center has generated state and national prominence for its success with touring megahits and sold-out sensations, making producers, performers and patrons turn their attention toward mid-Michigan. However, at its core, Wharton Center is more than a space to entertain; it is a place to educate, engage and inspire. The new MSU Federal Credit Union Institute for Arts & Creativity at Wharton Center will serve as the cornerstone on which the Center will deepen its mission “to enrich the lives of Michigan residents and strengthen the value of the arts in everyday life by serving as a leading resource for renowned arts entertainment and education programs.”

Key Objectives

Nearly all of Wharton Center’s key objectives are woven into the Institute’s purpose and programs, most notably to provide meaningful, participatory lifelong learning programs both at Wharton Center and throughout the state for audiences of all ages. The Institute also serves a role in helping Wharton Center serve as an industry leader and advocate to help bolster the cultural and economic vitality of the community and the state; present a diverse selection of performing arts experiences with world-class artists and newly commissioned works; advance the arts by presenting Michigan’s finest arts organizations; and strive to ensure that the diversity of our community is reflected on our stage and in our audience.

The MSU Federal Credit Union Institute for Arts & Creativity encompasses all current and future arts education programs. The Institute is positioned as “in residence at Wharton Center for Performing Arts” to ensure differentiation between the entertainment and education components of the Center’s mission.

Key Objectives

Nearly all of Wharton Center’s key objectives are woven into the Institute’s purpose and programs, most notably to “provide meaningful, participatory lifelong learning programs both at Wharton Center and throughout the state for audiences of all ages.” The Institute also serves a role in helping Wharton Center “serve as an industry leader and advocate to help bolster the cultural and economic vitality of the community and the state,” “present a diverse selection of performing arts experiences with world-class artists and newly commissioned works,” “advance the arts by presenting Michigan’s finest arts organizations,” and “strive to ensure that the diversity of our community is reflected on our stage and in our audience.”

Exsiting Programs

Existing programs, which integrate performing arts into K-12 curriculum for more than 30,000 children each year, will continue, but under the Institute brand:

Act One School and Family Series
Jazz Kats – Jazz for Kids
Young Playwrights Festival

Additional programs, which reach thousands of adult learners from the MSU community (students, faculty and staff) and permanent residents, will also be branded as Institute programs:

World View Lecture Series
Preview Lectures
Wharton Center Cultural Exchange

Expanded initiatives

An expanded series of artist-in-residence programs will serve as the cornerstone of the Institute’s education programs for student and adult learners. Guest artists live and practice their art for several days to a week in the community, allowing time for artists to establish relationships with participants to build upon during subsequent visits. Current residencies include the Stratford Shakespeare Festival of Canada, jazz vocalist Sophie Milman, Cuban band Tiempo Libre, and jazz legend Wynton Marsalis - all of which will be branded as Institute programs.

Additional programs to be marketed under the Institute brand include:

Kennedy Center Partners In Education Professional Development Series, a collaboration with the Ingham Intermediate School District
Ongoing master classes and lecture demonstrations
Distance learning programs, which will reach students from around the state through the use of broadband technology. The Institute will be at the cutting edge of arts education by embracing new technology to reach more kids in more places.

The Future

Currently, new spaces as part of the proposed expansion will include a reconfigured rehearsal studio with retractable bleacher seating and classroom-style amenities that will serve as a primary site for Institute programs. However, the concept for the Institute comprises much more than a four-wall classroom. Every space – stages, lounges, classrooms throughout campus and around the state - will at some time, and in some way, be utilized for the Institute’s education programs. Additionally, two multi-purpose spaces, which will serve as reception space for on-site entertaining in conjunction with public performances, will feature state-of-the-art technology necessary for distance learning broadcasts, providing hundreds, even thousands, more children from the around the state with opportunities to participate in the transformative power of the performing arts.