Category Archives: Performing Arts Center

Aug 2 2012

New Fine Arts Center On Track for December 2013 Completion

Brick by brick and nail by nail, the dreams of this community are being raised in grand fashion, pushing against the sky with regal determination. Slated for completion in December 2013, the Performing Arts Center (also referred to as the Fine Arts Center) is on-schedule and looking fantastic.

Boasting a 1,200 seat auditorium, dressing rooms, scene shop, multi-purpose room for smaller performances, and a whopping 90 foot stage, the Performing Arts Center will truly be a community gathering space where our students can shine with room enough to fully spread their wings.

In addition to the performance-related venues, this building will also become the new home for Superintendent Tom TenBrink and Jenison’s team of central office administrators. Parking will be accommodated in a new lot that will be tucked between the junior and senior high schools, as well as additional room south of the junior high and adjacent to the tennis courts.

 

Jenison’s Performing Arts Center will truly be a venue that will invite celebration. We eagerly await the evening when teachers, parents, students, and community members will be able to sit in the glow of a dimly-lit auditorium and watch the magic of theater and music unfold.

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Jan 19 2012

New Year, New Offices!

“What did you do on Christmas vacation?”

Do you remember this writing prompt from elementary school? Perhaps you smoothed out a wrinkled piece of spiral notebook paper and reveled in your sledding adventures, or clutched your #2 pencil and listed off your favorite gifts. Writing that essay was always a moment of joy, because it meant that I could re-live all the best parts of my Christmas memories.

Though I am no longer a fourth-grader with sledding adventures fresh in my mind, this past winter break was no less full of excitement! Aside from welcoming a new fleet of buses, our administration offices moved from our old building to 7506 Church Ct. in Jenison.

This move signals the start of something incredibly special: the construction of our bond-funded Performing Arts Center! Jenison’s future state-of-the-art facility will be housed on the combined sites of our old administration building, green space, and former parking lots.

In just a few short weeks the first pile of dirt will be turned, and our vision for a world-class venue will start its journey to reality. It will be my privilege to share updates and photos here (at tomtenbrink.com) along the way!

If you know a community member eager to stay connected, I hope you’ll pass this along by using the gray “share this” button at the bottom of this post.

Also, I’m adding a new feature to invite your participation on my blog–a conversation prompt! For the fourth grader in all of us, I’d love your comments…

Question for the Community: What aspect of having our own Performing Arts Center is the most exciting to you?

Dec 21 2011

Reflections on Christmas

With Jenison students now on vacation and Christmas Day drawing closer, I’ve had some quiet moments to ponder how fortunate we were to have had the carpet rolled out, if you will, in preparation for this holiday.

The past two weeks have been packed with wonderful concerts at every level, starting at our elementary schools and being topped off at the high school. Each time I have the privilege of hearing our vocalists, choirs, bands, and orchestras, I am reminded of the high standards of our programs and the quality and dedication of our fine instructors.

These concerts also fill me with gratitude. We are entirely thankful to you, the community, for passing a bond that will one day allow our young musicians to perform at home rather than at an off-campus venue. While we have been blessed to have held our Christmas concerts at Fair Haven Ministries over the years, we look forward to a day when we will have a Performing Arts Center of our own.

…And that truly deserves an “Hallelujah”!

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Dec 10 2011

Fine Arts Center Groundbreaking Ceremony

Before a crisp October football game this fall, we had the pleasure of manually scooping the first shovelfuls of dirt in our performing arts ground-breaking ceremony. Our deep gratitude goes out to you, the community, for approving the 1.05 mil bond proposal last spring and making these improvements possible.

After years of renting churches and other venues to house our concerts, I am thrilled at the thought of having a place of our own to showcase the many talents of our students. Thank you!