Tempe Center for the Arts Facts for Kids

The Tempe Center for the Arts (TCA) is a cool place in Tempe, Arizona, where you can enjoy different kinds of art. It opened in September 2007. Inside, it has a large theater with 600 seats, a smaller studio theater with 200 seats, and a big art gallery. There's also a special room called the Lakeside Room that fits 200 people. It has amazing views of Tempe Town Lake, the Papago Buttes, and Camelback Mountain.

Quick facts for kids
Tempe Center for the Arts
Construction
Exterior view of venue from the Salt River (c.2011)
Address	700 W Rio Rio Salado Pkwy Tempe, AZ 85281-5293
Location	Metro Phoenix
Coordinates	33°25′54.1″N 111°56′56.4″W / 33.431694°N 111.949000°W / 33.431694; -111.949000
Owner	City of Tempe
Capacity	600 (Theater) 275 (Studio) 219 (Lakeside)
Broke ground	2004
Opened	September 7, 2007 (2007-09-07)
Construction cost	$65 million ($101 million in 2022 dollars )
Architect	Architekton Barton Myers
Project manager	Kitchell
Structural engineer	Arup Group
Services engineer	Stantec
General contractor	Okland Construction

Building Design and Cool Features
Artists and Performances
- Current Resident Artists
- Past Programs and Events
Images for kids
See also

Building Design and Cool Features

The Tempe Center for the Arts was designed by two architecture firms: Barton Myers Associates from Los Angeles and Architekton from Tempe. People in Tempe really wanted an arts center. So, in 1998, a group of citizens helped create a plan to fund it. They used a small increase in sales tax to help pay for the building's design and construction.

For the main entrance, an artist named Ned Kahn used 8,000 tiny marbles and mirrors. These create a sparkling, sunny effect that looks amazing! This sparkling look is also seen on the west wall of the Lakeside room. Here, many mirrors catch and reflect the light from the Center's special pool.

Unique Roof Design

The building has a very unique roof. It's made of complex, folded shapes that look like paper origami. You can easily see this cool roof from the nearby highways and from Tempe Town Lake. The lake is right next to the building. You can even spot the roof from airplanes landing at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, which is only two miles away!

Lobby and Construction

The lobby of the TCA is open to everyone and has become a popular spot for people to gather. It's a place that helps bring people together for fun activities and cultural events.

The city government chose a company to manage the design process. This led to the selection of the design team in 2000. After getting ideas from the public, the final design was ready in 2003. Construction started in April 2004 and took about 40 months to finish. The Center was completed in August 2007 and officially opened on September 9, 2007.

Public Art at TCA

The building also features five amazing public art pieces:

Entry Marquee – by Ned Kahn
Fireplace – by trueNorth, 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 art gallery shows free exhibits of two- and three-dimensional artwork. You can see art from both local artists and artists from all over the world.

Artists and Performances

The Tempe Center for the Arts is home to many different performing groups. These groups are called "resident artists" because they often perform and practice there.

Current Resident Artists

Here are some of the groups that currently perform at TCA:

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

Past Programs and Events

The city of Tempe has also hosted its own programs and events at the Center, including:

Songwriters' Showcase
In the Spotlight
Tempe Poetry in April
Art After Work
Finally Friday

Images for kids

Photo on the outside of the Lakeside looking across the reflecting pond known as Mare Undarum – Sea of Waves.
Photo of the lobby looking east.
Photo of the lobby looking west.
Photo of the lobby carpet design called Agua Corriente, looking down from the third floor.
Photo looking at the East side of the building exterior.
Photo looking at the West side of the building exterior.
TCA Exterior
Bridge outside TCA
Outside TCA Theater
Sunset at TCA
TCA Theater