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Entrance on Walnut Street

Introduction

The John Waldron Arts Center, at 122 S. Walnut Street serves as the home and epicenter of the Bloomington Area Arts Council. The Center was initially constructed in 1992, and serves the following goals of the BAAC:

• Develop, strengthen and promote artists and arts organizations in the five-county area.
• Serve as a catalyst for economic and community development through the arts.
• Raise the visibility and increase public awareness of Bloomington's cultural resources.
• Develop access to the arts for all young people.
• Serve as the community's major source for life-long learning in the arts.

The center provides space for musical and dramatic performances, gallery exhibitions and classes.

Address and Phone Number

John Waldron Arts Center
122 S. Walnut Street
Bloomington, IN 47404-6107
(812) 334-3100

History

Pre-Waldron Building History

The Beaux Arts style building at the corner of Fourth and Walnut Streets was erected in 1915. It was originally used as the Bloomington City Hall until 1965 when the Bloomington Police Department moved in. The BPD moved out of the building in 1985, leaving it virtually vacant for five years. One tenant, the Bloomington Fire Department, used the south side of the 2nd floor as dormitory space for firefighters in the adjacent fire station.

Early Fundraising Period

After several failed attempts at the creation of an area arts center, the Bloomington Area Arts Council was finally able to raise the money necessary to renovate the old City Hall Building in 1990. The fundraising effort received a tremendous boost through the initially anonymous donation of $375,000 to the project by Cecile Waldron. In gratitude for the donation, the BAAC named the building after John Waldron, a prominent city politician in the 1800s and great-grandfather to Cecile Waldron's husband, Charles. The City of Bloomington handed over the deed to the property to the BAAC in a ceremony on July 31, 1990 at the Fountain Square atrium.

The BAAC endorsed the design plans of Vincenne's architectural firm G.S. Ridgway and Associates Inc. on August 22nd, 1990. The initial plans included:

• A performance space on the third floor with 130 seats.
• A gallery, meeting room, offices, concessions, gift shop, and a grand hall on the second floor.
• A small theater and gallery space, classrooms and dressing rooms on the first floor.

Space was also set aside to lease out to other arts projects. The city still owned the fire-truck bay attached to the building. The construction estimate was 12-15 months. At the time of the approval, the BAAC had raised $850,000 of the estimated $1 million it would take to complete the renovation and the first year of operation.

Construction

Construction got off to a rocky start when the revised renovation estimates came in at $190,000 more than was anticipated. The interior of the building was still filled with a generator, police files and a communications system from the Bloomington Police Department. The false celings were water stained and the roof needed repair work. While the Bloomington Fire Department still owned a portion of the building, there were also plans at the time to build a new fire station at the corner of Lincoln and Fourth Streets.

A later anonymous donation of $265,000 enabled the BAAC to purchase the adjacent fire station and dorm space after the city made it's intention to move the fire fighters to the new station known. The old fire station building, sold for $125,000, was constructed in 1950. Initial plans for the newly-acquired space called for the installation of Bloomington Community Radio, operators of WFHB in one portion, with administrative offices occupying the rest of the space. Funding for the new radio station was raised separately by BCB.

In early 1991, volunteers worked at cleaning out the center and holding various fundraisers to bridge the funding gap. They held their first open house on May 25, 1991. The nearly-finished building held its first official event, a silent auction, on May 2, 1992. Early reviews of the progress were encouraging as residents expressed their satisfaction with the result. The center was officially dedicated on October 4, 1992.

References

• Mills, Kathleen: "Arts center now official", Herald Times, (1 August 1990)
  
• ???, ???: "Council OKs plans for arts center", Herald Times, (23 August 1990)
  
• Mills, Kathleen: "Arts Center to seek bids, more donors", Herald Times, (23 September 1990)
  
• Mills, Kathleen: "Open house Saturday at arts center", Herald Times, (23 May 1991)
  
• Mills, Kathleen: "Waldron Arts Center renovation to begin soon", Herald Times, (8 September 1991)
  

External Links

BAAC and John Waldron Arts Center Homepage