Performing Arts Center

The Laura and Jack Boyd Smith, Jr. Performing Arts Center has come together beautifully. The building is now complete, pending a few remaining finishing touches as begin utilizing the space. 

This week, house seats were installed, really bringing the space to life!

Progress continues to be made on both the exterior and interior of the building. Inside, we've seen the addition of ceiling panels, paint, lighting, tile in the restrooms, and other detail work. Outdoors, block is being laid for the sign construction, and finishing details are being added to the facade. 

Interior work continues to move forward with the addition of drywall throughout the building. 

Tremendous progress continues to take place on Smith Hall. On the exterior, brick work is almost complete, including the brick facade. Inside, the rough in of electrical and plumbing components have been completed, as well as interior framing, duct work, sound booth framing, and the addition of the proscenium arch above the stage. 

A lot of progress has taken place in the last few weeks with the addition of metal studs, sheeting, and the roof deck!  

A large crane was on campus today to lift the trusses for the roof of Smith Hall! 

With the lobby fully framed, the boards signed by students, faculty/staff, friends, and families during the groundbreaking are now in place above the lobby windows. 

Many thanks to Clint Tallman, SCS '91, for providing a few aerial shots of the recent construction. 

With the cement poured for the flooring, framing is taking place for the lobby's walls. 

A cement truck and large crew of workers were on campus today pouring and smoothing the cement floors for the Smith Hall lobby and stage! 

It's been an exciting day on campus as steel structural support beams went up for the Smith Hall construction project. The beams provide a great visual of the building's framework, adding another level of excitement to this historic project as things begin to really take shape on the construction site!

With grading for the seating roughed in and the stage retaining wall now in place, the site is really taking shape!

Construction continued this week with the addition of the roof cricket! In addition, workers began laying block for the foundation. 

With the ground graded and excavated, the first step of construction could begin! Workers installed forms to prepare to pour the footings - the basis of the foundation. As concrete was poured and smoothed with a screed board and a finishing trowel, students and faculty stopped to watch from Martin Hall windows. You can note the tiered structure, which will accommodate the sloped floor in the seating area of the performing arts center. 

By the end of the first week, most of the old building had been demolished and the ground was being cleared of all remaining debris.

Demolition moved quickly on day two! Most of the old building was taken down with just a few walls remaining. The Tallmans visited with a drone to capture some unique shots of campus, providing us a bird's eye view of the demolition. 

With the campus cleared out for Spring Break, demolition began on what once was the school's main entrance. After discovering a support beam that connects to parts of the building that will remain, Majority Builders used an oxy-acetylene torch to separate it, and then the bulk of demolition began! 

On Friday, March 18, benefactors, faculty, staff, parents, and students gathered for a Celebratory Groundbreaking of the new space. Erin Linder Hanig '94, Board of Trustees President, Ben Ottenweller, Incoming Head of School, and Deborah Chudzynski, Drama/Theatre Teacher, spoke at the event. A benefactor reception, student performances, and ceremonial groundbreaking rounded out the historic occasion. Attendees signed wooden beams that would become part of the permanent construction. WNDU News was in attendance to cover the story.

In December 2021, families, faculty/staff, alumni, and friends were invited to become a part of the history of the arts at Stanley Clark by purchasing a seat back in the new performing arts center as we look forward to breaking ground in Spring 2022! Learn more about purchasing a seat back.