TJC and the TJC Foundation announced today the Campaign for the long-awaited new Rogers Palmer Performing Arts Center.
The center is a new facility that will transform Wise Auditorium into a comprehensive performing arts center that will serve as the centerpiece of the TJC Cultural Arts District.
The campaign will offer alumni, friends and supporters the opportunity to help “Raise the Curtain” on the center.
“We are very grateful that Tyler and East Texas continue to recognize the important role the arts play in the rich culture of our community,” Campaign Steering Committee Co-Chairs Sheryl Palmer and Margaret Perkins said in a joint statement. “We are thankful for the generous support of the Campaign and hope you will help us ‘Raise the Curtain’ on the new Rogers Palmer Performing Arts Center at TJC.”
A $25,000 Naming Race Challenge is underway on the campaign website: TJC.edu/ArtsCampaign. Contributors can designate their gifts to spaces within the arts center that are named in honor of notable TJC professors who have had a major impact on TJC arts programs and alumni.
Thanks to a generous gift from TJC friend Joyce Buford, the space with the most supporters giving $25 or more during this 25-hour challenge wins $25,000 toward its naming. Participants can help honor iconic leaders of the arts at TJC, and their gifts will determine who is announced as the winner at noon on Friday, Oct. 2.
Construction of TJC’s new Rogers Palmer Performing Arts Center has continued at a steady pace; and excitement is building as the center’s early 2021 completion date draws near.
The center, which features 16,400 square feet in additional space, will serve as a community resource, hosting numerous events and guest lecturers, high school conferences and competitions, East Texas Youth Orchestra performances, commencement exercises both for TJC and area schools and professional development programs.
TJC typically offers more than 125 unique arts-related activities, events and performances each year within the TJC Cultural Arts District. The Rogers Palmer Performing Arts Center will build on the College’s legacy in the arts and ensure that TJC can continue to recruit exceptional talent, grow the College’s arts programs and serve a thriving arts culture in East Texas.