Capital Campaign
Help Wharton Center celebrate its first 25 years while building for the future!
As Wharton Center celebrates 25 years as Michigan's premier performing arts center and the MSU Auditorium approaches its 70th year, the time has come to prepare for the future. We are in the midst of the first major renovation to Wharton Center and we need your help.
Renovation
Wharton Center's new space will consist of a glass and brick, four-story structure integrated into the front facade of the current building. It will create a dramatic face to the facility and will expand the front lobby, enlarge the box office and gift shop, add two education/reception areas on the second floor, and consolidate all staff offices on the third level. In addition, expansion of the backstage will include crew rooms, restrooms, and dressing rooms, all necessary to maintain the Center as a state-of-the-art facility.
The enhanced facility will include more than 24,000 square feet of new space to accommodate everything from expanded arts in education programs, distance learning, and community programs to flexible space for private gatherings and donor receptions. It will also address all touring production issues backstage. In addition, more than 9,000 square feet of current space will be renovated to maximize utilization.
In addition to the renovation at Wharton Center, we are committed to restoring the MSU Concert Auditorium and Fairchild Theatre to true world-class venues. Over the past year, we have proudly invested over $1.3 million in artist and patron amenities to make your experience more enjoyable. Plush new state-of-the-art theatre seats have been installed throughout, and a new riser system in the Concert Auditorium provides for improved viewing from the main floor.
Playing your Part
The planned renovations will prepare Wharton Center for the next 25 years of performing arts education and entertainment. We ask you to consider making a "stretch" or once-in-a-lifetime gift. Depending on the level of your gift, it can be recognized in any of the following ways:
- Naming opportunities of the physical spaces within Wharton Center are available
- Named endowments can be created to support education and specific programs
- Seat plates are available at the Cobb Great Hall, Pasant Theatre and MSU Auditorium for $1,000 each
Gifts can be made in the form of cash or a pledge payable over five years. Deferred gifts through estate planning will also help build Wharton Center's endowment funds.
Please contact Wharton Center's development office at (517) 353-4640 to learn more about facility naming opportunities, named endowments or deferred gifts. Otherwise, please take a moment to fill out the attached form to order seat plates to honor loved ones or recognize your gift.
For more information, please contact Wharton Center's Development office at
(517) 353-4640.
The Capital Campaign for Wharton Center for Performing Arts at Michigan State University ushered in a new era on Monday, May 19, 2008, with the official groundbreaking for the Center's 24,000-square-foot expansion. There is a lot going on with this project and many people who have helped make this possible.
Please visit our Capital Campaign / Groundbreaking site for more information and continued updates.
