5.18.21 Cultural Arts PresentationPrattvilleArts andEvent Center
An Introduction
Meet the Prattville Arts Volunteers and
Employees
The Prattville
Creative and
Performing
Arts Council
The Prattville Creative and
Performing Arts Council is a
volunteer organization
comprised of business and
civic leaders. The Council
advises the Cultural Arts
Groups, spearheads the
Honoree Dinner, and
volunteers at other events.
Prattauga Art Guild
Prattauga
Art Guild
The Prattauga Art Guild is a
volunteer organization comprised
of local and regional artists and
non-artist supporters of the arts.
PAG volunteers keep the
Creative Arts Center and Gallery
open, and host exhibits,
workshops, classes, and other
community programs and
projects.
Prattauga Art Guild Events
Art With A Heart AICC Fundraiser (February)Celebration of the Arts Exhibition (March)Plein Air Painting Event (April)Participation in the Wilson Pickett Music and Arts Festival (April)
Youth Art Show (May/June)Summer Exhibition (June and July)Summer Art Camps (June and July)Volunteer Show (August)Fall Art Show (September/October)
Holiday Open House (November)Holiday Art Workshop (December)Pop-Up Ornament Craft at A Main Street Christmas (December)
Additionally, other art workshops throughout the year and participation in many Special Events.
Prattville Community Chorus
Community Chorus
The Prattville Community
Chorus was founded in
1973. The Chorus is open
to everyone, no auditions
required. The Chorus
performs for many
community and
organization events.
Community Chorus Events
Singing Valentines (February)
Spring Dinner Concert (April)
Performance at the Wilson Pickett Festival (April)
Patriotic Concert (July)
Caroling at the Christmas Tree Lighting (November)
Christmas Concert (December)
Caroling at A Main Street Christmas (December)
Additionally, the Chorus performs at the Spinners’
Pumpkin Patch Festival and participates in parades and
other Special Events.
Prattville Pops
Prattville Pops
The Prattville Pops was
founded in 2002 and is a
non-auditioned band, open
to anyone with an
instrument. The Pops
participates in many local
and regional events.
Prattville Pops Events
March Madness Concert (April)
Spring Concert (April)
Performance at the Wilson Pickett Festival (April)
Patriotic Concert (July)
Fall Concert (October)
Christmas Concert (December)
Performance at Christmas Tree Lighting
(December)
Additionally, the Pops participates in parades
and other Special Events.
Way Off Broadway Theatre
Way Off Broadway
Theatre
The Way Off Broadway
Theatre is a community
theatre, board members,
actors, and crew are
volunteers. The Way Off
Broadway theatre presents
four plays, a musical,
workshops and camps
throughout the year.
Previous Way Off
Broadway Shows
Steel Magnolias
Little Shop Of Horrors
Hairspray
Driving Miss Daisy
To Kill a Mockingbird
Oklahoma
Elf the Musical
Little Women
Charlie Brown Christmas
and many more!
Special Events
Special Events
Mardi Gras Parade and Celebration (January/February)
Words and Music (Spring and Fall)
Celebration of the Arts and Honoree Dinner (March)
Wilson Pickett Music and Arts Festival (April)
Kids to Parks Day: Mayor’s Bike Ride and Touch A Truck (May)
Farmers Market (Every Saturday of June, July, and August)
Creekwalk Concert Series (June and July)
Independence Day Parade and Celebration (July)
Halloween Candy Walk (October)
Christmas Tree Lighting (November)
Christmas Parade (December)
A Main Street Christmas (December)
As well as additional events for Special Occasions and Celebrations.
Cultural Arts and Special Events Staff
Barbara Simpson
C.A.S.E. Manager
Brittany Glenn
Programs Specialist
Tanner Parrish
Part-time Assistant
A division of Parks and Recreation, C.A.S.E. staff plan the events, design
the graphics, book the bands, sell the tickets, set up the tents, write the grants, secure the rights, and all of the other components that go into
creating successful plays, exhibitions, concerts, farmers markets, etc.
Our Facilities
Outgrowing our spaces.
Creative Arts Center and Gallery
Manageability
As there is no dedicated
staff for the gallery, we
have limited hours of
operation and are
dependent on volunteers
to open the gallery to the
public.
Growth Restriction
The Creative Arts Center has
very limited classroom and
exhibition space, with
classrooms only being able to
hold about 12 students max,
8 comfortably. There is also
limited storage and meeting
space.
Cultural Arts Center and Offices
Busting at the
Seams
With a capacity of 85 in the
house, with a few crew
members and two volunteers
at concessions, we are often
limited to selling 80 or fewer
tickets per show, leading to
many sell-outs and long
waiting lists.
24
Space to Work
With no space to build set
pieces and to paint moveable
walls, volunteers are forced to
work outside when the
weather is good and in the
theatre when it is not, creating
a big mess.
No Dressing Rooms
and No Backstage
We currently do not have
dressing rooms for costume
changes. The Green Room
and the Prop Room are
currently used as dressing
spaces. We also have very
limited backstage area.
Prop Storage
Although we have worked to
organize the best we can, the
prop room is overflowing and
a rental unit is necessary for
storage at a cost of $130 per
month.
“Both programs,
located in historic
buildings designed for
other uses, need more
space and/or space better
suited to program needs.
The Vision
A place for everyone.
An opportunity for Prattville.
Arts and
Event Center
A two-story, 52,400
square foot facility.
“
A multipurpose facility
with a large space for
performances and city
wide events […] is a top
priority.
Theatre, Reception, and Concessions
Current Theatre Proposed Theatre
Theatre
Opportunities
In addition to hosting 50+
performances a year by the Way
Off Broadway Theatre, a larger
theatre with upgraded lighting,
sound, and projection capabilities
would open up opportunities for
hosting indoor concerts and
performances by local and
national touring groups and film
showings.
Dressing Rooms, Set Construction,
and Theatre Storage
Current Green Room
Actors use the Green Room and Prop Room for
dressing rooms.
Proposed Dressing Rooms
Can also be used for “get ready” rooms for weddings. Contain
lockers for actors to secure their personal belongings.
Current Props and Costume Storage
The current prop room doubles as costume storage and is
overflowing into an off-site storage building.
Proposed Storage Rooms
Would allow plenty of space for costumes and props and
eliminate the need to rent a storage unit.
Current Set Construction Space
Currently, set construction happens in many locations at the
Cultural Arts Center. When working outside, sets must be
transported up steps or a ramp into the theatre.
Proposed Set Construction Space
This would allow sets to be built indoors in a dedicated space
and rolled directly into the theatre.
Classrooms, Special Event Storage,
Arts Research Library, and Gift Shop
“Not all students will
become professional
artists, but the arts play a
critical role in the
development and success
of every student.
Current Classroom Spaces
Cannot hold more that 12 students in any classroom.
Proposed Classrooms
Multi-Purpose –40 students, multipurpose
STEAM Lab –32 students, multipurpose
Ceramics Studio –24 students, ceramics and kiln
Film/Photography Studio –16+ students, multipurpose
STEAM Classroom
This classroom will comfortably
serve 32 students and contains an
in-class sink. This classroom is
multi-purpose and can be used for
many types of media, and is set up
for access to an outdoor area for
outdoor experiments and learning,
such as agriculture education
projects.
Multi-purpose
Classroom
We are in need of a large, multi-
purpose classroom for workshops
and camps. Our current classrooms
only hold up to 12 students
maximum, and some accommodate
fewer than that. For weekly classes,
teachers need to be able to leave
student work to dry or store some
frequently used supplies. This
design includes lockable cabinets
that can be assigned to teachers.
Ceramics Classroom
This classroom will comfortably
serve 24 students and contains an
in-class sink and kiln. This
classroom is suited especially for
ceramics studio work. Currently,
there is not a dedicated ceramics
classroom and the kilns are kept on
the back porch of the Creative Arts
Center.
Filming and
Photography
Classroom
This classroom will comfortably
serve more than 16 students and
contains and in-class sink. This
classroom is multi-purpose, but is
primarily structured for filming and
photography classrooms. There are
no windows to facilitate dark room
film development and there is a
large open space for sets and
backdrops.
Gallery Space and Restrooms
Current Gallery Space
Can only accommodate member work. We cannot drill or nail into
walls and rely on a French gallery rod system which sometimes
fails.
Proposed Gallery Space
Has a dedicated PAG Member Gallery, along with plenty of
additional gallery space for traveling exhibitions. The National
Gallery loans prestigious artwork to suitable facilities.
Rehearsal and Event Space, and Storage and
Meeting Space for Arts Groups
No Rehearsal Space
Currently the Pops and Chorus do not have a dedicated
rehearsal space. They currently rehearse in the PCA Band Room
and the FUMC Chorus Room.
Proposed Rehearsal Space
With a capacity of ~200 people, this space could be used for both
rehearsals and performances, as well as for rental for events.
Arts Group Space
and Storage
Storage and space is one of our
major problems at the moment.
Dedicated space for each group
to meet and house things like
scripts, music, instruments, and
our permanent collection of
artwork is an important aspect to
consider when planning for a
Cultural Arts Facility.
Ballroom, Kitchen, Balcony,
and Restrooms
5850 Square Feet of Space for Large Events, Banquets, Weddings
Ballroom
Opportunities
This ballroom would allow us to host
many grand events, including
corporate events, trade shows,
weddings, and other special events,
boosting tourism. It would seat
approximately 500 people theatre style
and 200 people banquet style. A
commercial kitchen is attached, along
with a 2700 square foot balcony for
pre-event gatherings.
Administrative Offices
But, why?
Why invest in the arts?
Building Community
This space would increase the number
of quality of life programs offered in
Prattville, providing more opportunities
for the community to interact. It also
would provide space for community
events, business events, and private
events. This center would be a draw
for new families and businesses in the
area. It would be a catalyst for more
progress in Prattville.
Preparing
Tomorrow’s Leaders
The World Economic Forum predicts
that, by 2022, one of the top three
skills in demand by employers will be
“creativity, originality, and initiative,”
with “analytical thinking and
innovation” taking the top place
(2018). With a space to involve
students and adults in the arts, we can
help to develop these skills.
Tourism
⦁Compared to other travelers,
cultural and heritage tourists
spend more and stay longer.
⦁35.3 million adults say that a
specific arts, cultural, or
heritage event or activity
influenced their choice of
destination.
(U.S. Department of Commerce, 2005).
Economic Impact
In 2019, production of arts
and cultural goods and services in the
U.S. added 4.3 percent directly to the
nation’s GDP, for a total approaching a
trillion dollars ($919.7 billion). This
amount remains greater than the value
added by such industries as
construction, transportation and
warehousing, mining, and agriculture.
(National Endowment for the Arts, 2021)
Credits and Sources
Americans for the Arts. “Why the Arts Matter in Alabama.” 2020.
City of Prattville. “Project Prattville 2040.” 2020.
National Endowment for the Arts. “The U.S. Art Economy in 2019: A National Summary Report.” 2021.
Slides Carnival, presentation template.
U.S. Department of Commerce and the President’s Committee on the Arts and the
Humanities. “A Position Paper on Cultural and Heritage Tourism in the United States.” 2005.
World Economic Forum. “The Future of Jobs Report.” 2018.
Suggested Further Reading:
All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Arts, Health, and Wellbeing. “Creative Health: The
Arts for Health and Wellbeing.” 2017.
Americans for the Arts. Arts and Economic Prosperity 5. 2017.
Arbogast Performing Arts Center. “Community Impact Study: McCoy Center for the Arts.”
2019.
Knight Foundation. “Soul of the Community Project.” 2010.