When you walk down the hallway to the SALT block auditorium, the smell of fresh-shaved wood fills your nose.
As you pull open the heavy door to the old auditorium, the smell is stronger. Your eyes are greeted by dark blue carpet and dove-gray seats with soft red cushions.
The auditorium just completed a four-month renovation in which the lights, sound system, stage floor, seats and carpeting were all replaced. The walls were also given a fresh coat of paint, said Lynn Loehr, co-executive director of the United Arts Council of Catawba County. The dressing room was also refurbished.
"It's used more than 200 days a year, mostly by school kids," she said. "The chairs and carpet were in horrible condition. The chairs dated back to the original 1925 auditorium."
The renovation was paid for by the SALT Block endowment and capital campaign, which was started two years ago, Loehr said.
The campaign was designed to redo the west wing of the building, renovate the auditorium and continue an endowment to pay for ongoing maintenance. The goal of the campaign is $5 million. To date, $3.3 million has been raised, and $500,000 of that was used to renovate the auditorium, Loehr said.
"In 1972, the high school left the building, and in 1984 and 1986, there was a capital campaign, and they recovered and re-cushioned the seats, but they're still the original seats," she said. "This is the first time we've had new ones."
CAST (Creative Arts Shoestring Theatre) and Claytor Kaye Theater Works, both in Hickory, were given some of the old stage seats that were usable, Loehr said.
"If we had some things that other people could use, we gave it to them," she said.
The lighting was replaced with some white lights, but there are some colored lights, on the stage as well as above the balcony to illuminate the stage.
"For the people that use this space pretty regularly and know what it's like, they will be blown away when they get to use it," Loehr said.
The Kontras Quartet was in the auditorium Wednesday afternoon, practicing. They will be the first group that gets to use the space. They had fun trying out the stage and experimenting with the lighting and the sound.
The grand reopening of the auditorium is Friday night. The event is a private party for the top donors for the last 25 years. On Saturday, the Kontras Quartet will perform at 8 p.m. There will be a public open house from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement