Nearly two years after construction began, Lethbridge’s community arts centre has opened its doors.
CASA has over 40,000 sq. feet of space and is now home to many user groups and arts educators.
Chinook Woodturning Guild is one of the organizations with an expanded workspace, which the group hopes will help showcase the craft.
“It will give an opportunity for people to see what others are doing and maybe say, ‘Hey, I wouldn’t mind trying that,’ ” said Jim Jones.
The newly minted CASA held its grand opening on Tuesday. The $20-million facility is a dream 20 years in the making according to the Allied Arts Council.
“Lethbridge has a strong and diverse arts community,” said Suzanne Lint of the council. “What this building does is provide a spot, a place to work.”
“This isn’t a copy of anything else in Canada, this is a one off,” former Lethbridge mayor Bob Tarleck said. He led city council from 2001 to 2010, and helped guide the community arts centre project.
“The team went throughout Canada and the United States to find models they could use, and couldn’t find one, so we created one that meets our needs,” added Tarleck.
No matter the age, classes are available in various disciplines, from toddlers to seniors.
Capacity is one of the highlights of CASA, with 42,000 sq. feet to work with, it’s now home to the University of Lethbridge Conservatory of Music.
“We had outgrown our facility at the U of L,” said Conservatory director, Peggy Mezei. “We were delivering our program at churches, schools, all across the city. We just didn’t have a home base anymore.”
The Conservatory now has double its previous space. With 20 studios and a rehearsal hall, over 700 students will access the facility each week.
“This building will be full of music,” said Mezei.
As for what’s in a name, there has been backlash over the community-submitted “CASA”.
There is no official acronym, though it’s being referred to as “Creating Arts in Southern Alberta”, which is just a snapshot of what users hope to do.
There are a number of events planned at CASA as part of grand opening week. For more information, visit http://www.casalethbridge.ca/
May 14: Dance Comes Home – A Collaborative Dance Performance
May 15: The Death of Vaudeville & Other Stores – An Original Play by Jeremy Mason
May 16: Prairie Tales 14 – Short films By Alberta Filmmakers
May 16: Transitions & Transformations: New work by Lethbridge Artists
May 17: The Geomatic Attic Presents Oscar Lopez
May 18: Party on the Plaza
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