Waldron Arts Center to mark reopening
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The city of Bloomington is officially celebrating the reopening of the John Waldron Arts Center on Thursday. The facility, ownership of which reverted back to the city in 2021 after being used by Ivy Tech Community College, has undergone extensive repairs and renovations.
The city says it invested $515,000 to address deferred maintenance for the center, including upgrades to the HVAC system and light fixtures, as well as repairs to the roof and water damage. In January, the facility reopened to the public and artists, but a celebration was postponed due to the pandemic.
In August, the newly-formed theatrical company Constellation Stage & Screen assumed management of the Waldron, and closed the facility again for further renovations such as new technical equipment, theater seating, and a new café.
“We are excited to have this historical space that has been an anchor for arts in Bloomington ready to reopen,” said Mayor John Hamilton. “The merger that formed Constellation and the renovations of the Waldron together usher in an exciting new era of arts in our community.”
Thursday’s reopening celebration will feature an exhibition from the Bloomington Photography Club in the Waldron’s Visual Arts Galleries, followed by Constellation’s inaugural performance of The Importance of Being Earnest in the Waldron Auditorium.
Constellation was formed in March through the merger of the Bloomington Playwrights Project, Cardinal Stage and Pigasus Institute.