HGA will present at the upcoming USITT conference, where we also will accept a USITT Award for the Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center, Theatre and Dance Building.
The Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center, Theatre and Dance Building has won a USITT 2020 Architecture Merit Award. Located on the western edge of the Macalester College campus in St. Paul, the renovated performing arts center, originally built in 1965, breaks down silos between studio arts, theater, and music with three reimagined spaces customized to each discipline—all sharing a light-filled arts commons. The final third-phase Theater and Dance Building provides flexible classroom, rehearsal, and performance spaces that facilitate different learning, teaching, and performance styles. Together with the previously completed Performing Arts and Studio Arts buildings, the Theatre and Dance Building creates a dramatic campus focus for the arts.
USITT 2021 Conference
At the upcoming USITT Conference on March 8-12, HGA principal Rebecca Krull Kraling will present two sessions.
Program: Rigging and Building Structure – Tips for Making Sure They Work Together
Speakers: Rebecca Krull Kraling (HGA), Jody Kovalick (Schuler Shook), Stirling Shelton (University of Cincinnati), Jonathan Wacker (Meyer, Borgman and Johnson), Paul Zagajeski (Wenger Corporation)
Date: March 9, 2021
Time: 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM EST
Appropriate consideration of rigging needs is critical to a successful theatre design. Riggers and structural engineers don’t really speak the same language—both talk about loads but then use different terms that make it difficult to understand each another. This session will share tips about getting both on the same page to ensure clients get what they really want.
Program: Space Transformations: What does Venue Flexibility Look Like
Speakers: Rebecca Krull Kraling (HGA), David Kahn (Acoustic Distinctions), Paul Whitaker (Schuler Shook)
Date: March 9, 2021
Time: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM EST
Performances spaces often need to accommodate multiple performance types (music, dance, and theatre) that have conflicting technical and acoustic requirements. As space and construction dollars are at a premium, institutions are looking to combine programs into one flexible performance space. This session looks at two case studies on college campuses that incorporate easy-to-use technologies and systems to accommodate these different needs.
To learn more, visit the USITT conference or learn more about the USITT Awards.