Exclusive first look: Waldron Arts Center readies for its debut Thursday evening

On Wednesday afternoon, the cacophony of voices and construction equipment inside the Waldron Arts Center was hidden from passers-by outside as workers scurried up and down three floors placing Art Deco-inspired furniture, accessories and artwork ahead of the center's reopening.

A juried exhibit of creations by Bloomington Photography Club members will open at 7 p.m. Thursday, followed by a 7:30 p.m. preview performance of "The Importance of Being Earnest," the first production by Constellation Stage & Screen in the Waldron Arts Center.

Patrons will immediately notice a difference: Gone is the wall-to-wall carpeting, replaced with black-and-white floor tiles with a red carpet leading the way into the center. On Wednesday afternoon, directing the work were Kate Galvin and Chad Rabinovitz, artistic director and artistic director of new works, respectively.

While standing beneath one of the 16 lead crystal chandeliers, Rabinovitz welcomed a couple of visitors to the center, now adorned in a "modern take on Art Deco," which was popular soon after the building was erected in 1915.

The red carpet leads to the second floor, where a newly built box office is ready to sell tickets. The ceiling is adorned with four gold murals, each illuminated by a chandelier in the middle, done by Tiffany Black of Indianapolis. The golden thread weaves through the Art Deco wallpaper in the lounge, where a baby grand piano and comfortable orange, teal and gray chairs invite people to enjoy repose. On the wall just behind the box office a bank vault door, sporting a Constellation logo, allows entry into the office — a suggestion given by Carl Cook.

The lounge offers a place for people to sit before or after a performance, or as part of a special gathering, Rabinovitz explained. Eventually a bar will be added after a three-way alcohol license is secured.

On the opposite side of the box office, caterers have a dedicated a room to house warming ovens and other needed equipment for special events in the nearby lounge. "We're looking at the details on who to make this more usable," Rabinovitz said.

Across the second floor hallway is the gallery, which remains much as it was before. Freshly painted walls gleam behind the photographs hanging for the first exhibit. The Bloomington Photography Club exhibit will remain in place through mid-December and will be featured in the next two Gallery Walks. The spotlight gallery on the third floor will feature more photographs, enveloped by new carpet below and new canned lighting above.

Little adornment was added to the gallery spaces so that they can be transformed into whatever best showcases the current exhibit, Galvin explained.

People attending performances on the third floor are met with a metal sunburst sculpture created by Clutch Fabrication and Design. It fills the wall at the top of the stairs where the staircases split to continue upward. The custom-made seats and risers were installed just in time for the first performance, with seats still being put in place on Wednesday.

Waldron's first performanceWaldron Arts Center opens again with Oscar Wilde's 'The Importance of Being Earnest'

On the first floor, the former pottery will eventually become an art studio for artists in residence. The hope is artists will find the space inspiring and will be sponsored by patrons, Galvin said. The kiln that was once a part of the studio is now on the Ivy Tech Bloomington campus where classes are using it once again.

Speakers in the walls will ensure no matter what floor people visit, ambient sounds will provide the right atmosphere. The sound system, not yet fully installed, will allow different music to play in the various spaces. Supply challenges resulted in delays in procuring needed items to finish getting ready.

"The technical items are the hardest to secure," Rabinovitz said. "It comes down to silicon."

One area that will remain in progress for some time is the Rose Firebay theater on the first floor. Leveling the floor, expanding the dressing room and adding new flooring and seating are all planned. Rabinovitz expects that area to be "functional" in early 2023.