The Performance Arts Center will receive a donation of $2 million that will aid the renovation of Hogg Memorial Auditorium. The remodeling will be the second UT theater scheduled for renovation after Bass Concert Hall, which is scheduled to begin this year.
The donation comes from former head of the PAC Advisory Committee David Honeycutt and his wife, Ann Honeycutt. David is the president and founder of Texas American Resources, an Austin-based energy company. He and his wife are both alumni of UT, and David is the chair of Encore!, a campaign committee dedicated to the restoration of the 73-year-old theater.
The theater remained dormant for many years, used only occasionally as a place for large numbers of students to take exams, said Pebbles Wadsworth, director of the PAC. Since Wadsworth's arrival on campus, the theater has had a resurgence in programming. However, its abilities as a venue remain limited, she said.
"Every time we do a performance there, it costs us a fortune," Wadsworth said. "Her bones are still good. She was well fed by the University, but we're going to breath a new life into this lady."
Because of the large costs of moving lighting and other equipment to the venue for each performance, the auditorium cannot support a full season of events.
With the $2 million donation from his personal finances, Honeycutt said he hopes to spearhead a movement to restore the under-utilized auditorium.
"The donation is a launchpad or catalyst toward getting it on the fast-track," Honeycutt said. "Once you've given a gift, it is easier to convince others to donate, like putting your money where your mouth is."
This donation comes on the heels of the renovation of Bass Concert Hall, which will shut the theater down on May 21 for 18 months, as major changes are made to the theater known as "the Carnegie on the Colorado," Wadsworth said.
The new additions to the Bass Concert Hall will make the building a more engaging area for students and patrons alike. The renovations will cost $14.7 million and will include replacing the dark brick front facade with glass, a new mezzanine and larger lobby, as well as the addition of a restaurant, Wadsworth said.
Hogg Memorial Auditorium, which is more centrally located on campus and more accessible to students, will allow for more programming after its remodeling, Wadsworth said. She estimates that its renovations will cost about $16 million.
Funding for PAC projects comes largely from fundraising, revenue from performances and $1.4 million a year from the state.
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