Tempe Center for the Arts facts for kids
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Exterior view of venue from the Salt River (c.2011)
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| Address | 700 W Rio Rio Salado Pkwy Tempe, AZ United States |
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| Location | Metro Phoenix |
| Coordinates | 33°25′54.1″N 111°56′56.4″W / 33.431694°N 111.949000°W |
| Owner | City of Tempe |
| Capacity | 600 (Theater) 275 (Studio) 219 (Lakeside) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 2004 |
| Opened | September 7, 2007 |
| Construction cost | $65 million ($101 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect |
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| Project manager | Kitchell |
| Structural engineer | Arup Group |
| Services engineer | Stantec |
| General contractor | Okland Construction |
The Tempe Center for the Arts (TCA) is a cool place in Tempe, Arizona where you can enjoy shows and see amazing art. It is owned by the public, meaning the city of Tempe runs it.
It opened in September 2007. Inside, there's a big theater with 600 seats for plays and concerts. There's also a smaller studio theater with 200 seats. You can also find a large art gallery that is 3,500 square feet. The Lakeside Room can hold 200 people and has a great view of Tempe Town Lake.
Contents
History of the Arts Center
How the Idea Started
In 1998, a group of citizens and city leaders in Tempe started talking. They asked people if they liked the idea of having an arts center in the city. Everyone seemed to like the idea. So, city officials began to plan what would become the Tempe Center for the Arts.
Getting Approved and Built
Two years later, in 2000, people in Tempe officially said "yes" to the center. They voted for Proposition 400. This special vote set aside a small part of sales tax money to pay for building and running the center. About $63 million was set aside for the arts center itself. Another $2.7 million was for a park next to it.
On April 11, 2002, the Tempe City Council officially approved the final plans. Construction began on April 22, 2003. The center was supposed to open in spring 2006. However, designing and building the special roof took longer than expected. The Tempe Center for the Arts finished being built in August 2007. Its grand opening was on September 9, 2007.
Building Design
Unique Architecture
The building was designed by two groups: Barton Myers Associates from Los Angeles and Architekton from Tempe. The entrance has a special design by Ned Kahn. He used 8,000 marbles and tiny mirrors. These create a shimmering, sunny effect at the entrance, like sparkling water. This effect is also on the west wall of the Lakeside room. There, mirrors capture and reflect light from the center's pool.
The roof of the center is very unique. It's made of complex, folded shapes. You can see this roof from the nearby freeways and from Tempe Town Lake. This lake is a man-made lake built on the Salt River, right next to the center.
Artworks Inside and Out
The city government chose a company to help pick the design team in 2000. Five pieces of public art were included in the building's design:
- Entry Marquee – by Ned Kahn
- Fireplace – by Mayme Kratz and Mark Ryan
- Fountain Reflections – by Ned Kahn
- Lobby Carpet – by Ramona Saskiestewa
- Aurora – by Brower Hatcher
The center also has the Gallery at TCA. This is an art gallery that shows free exhibits. You can see two-dimensional (like paintings) and three-dimensional (like sculptures) artwork. These artworks are by artists from the local area and from all over the world.
Resident Artists
The Tempe Center for the Arts is home to many amazing performing groups. These groups often perform at the center:
- Arizona Theatre Company
- Arizona Wind Symphony
- Black Theatre Troupe (Guest Artists)
- Bridge Initiative: Women in Theatre
- Childsplay
- CONDER/dance
- Desert Dance Theatre
- Hayden's Ferry Chamber Music Series
- Lakeshore Music
- Scottsdale Musical Theatre Company
- Stray Cat Theatre
- Tandem Duo
- Tempe Comedy
- Tempe Symphony Orchestra
- Tempe Winds
Images for kids
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Photo on the outside of the Lakeside looking across the reflecting pond known as Mare Undarum – Sea of Waves.
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Photo of the lobby looking east.
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Photo of the lobby looking west.
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Photo of the lobby carpet design called Agua Corriente, looking down from the third floor.
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Photo looking at the East side of the building exterior.
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Photo looking at the West side of the building exterior.
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TCA Exterior
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Bridge outside TCA
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Outside TCA Theater
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Sunset at TCA
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TCA Theater
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See also
- List of concert halls
