
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, December 4, 1994                   TAG: 9412050017
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: STEVE GERUS
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

A FULL-SERVICE CENTER FOR THE ARTS IS IN THE OFFING

As steadily as a rising tide, the New River Valley is experiencing a surge of interest in providing places for the arts.

The earliest success, the Fine Arts Center for the New River Valley in Pulaski, was followed by DiscoveryWorks in Radford.

The corridor along Virginia 8 and U.S. 460 from Floyd to Narrows also has communities resonating with love for the arts.

Unfortunately, there is not one full-service facility to foster the interaction that stimulates producers, consumers and teachers of the arts. All the more unfortunate, because the arts could provide a pleasant frame for our regional identity.

In 1990, a group in Blacksburg started planning such a facility. For four years now the group, incorporated in April 1994 as Creative Arts Inc., has held weekly meetings; toured comparable facilities; met with attorneys, accountants, bankers and architects; produced marketing and needs-assessment studies and estimates of income and expenses; procured endorsements from public bodies; and, since 1993, coordinated its planning with the New River Arts Council.

Every meeting has brought progress. Now, at long last, the board feels it is ready to begin what our advisers suggest we call the "quiet" phase of our capital campaign. We are seeking major pledges now. Later we will move to the "public" phase of fund raising. We believe the proposed facility will be an enduring enhancement of the quality of life in our community.

My experience has been that the board members of the various arts organizations in the area fully support each others' efforts. This is all the more noteworthy as three organizations - Creative Arts Inc., the New River Arts Council and the Lyric Theatre project - are simultaneously seeking support.

We are aware of our struggles as well as our triumphs. Sometimes our support requires squarely facing reality. My recent thoughts regarding the New River Arts Council's plans to purchase and remodel the old Furniture Mart, when distanced from an inaccurate and inflammatory piece of journalism, were intended as a reminder that if the Arts Council members are to seize this opportunity, they must act quickly. The kind of planning that ideally takes years must necessarily be condensed into weeks. But as Bob Abraham said, "Just because it's tough doesn't mean it's impossible." That's the determination we all share.

Steve Gerus is a Blacksburg businessman, president of Bell Electric. He is vice president of Creative Arts Inc.

by CNB