Project Timeline

Fall 2005 -  The Hillsborough Arts Council (HAC) discusses need for a performance center in downtown Hillsborough.  HAC member Marsha Ferree meets Heidi Stump, the Executive Director of The Clayton Center, a performing arts center in Clayton, NC, and proposes that she come to Hillsborough to speak with the HAC.

March 2006 – Various organizations in Hillsborough are exploring the need for performance space in Hillsborough, including the Hillsborough Arts Council, the Burwell School, and the Orange Community Players.

March 14, 2006 – Heidi Stump of the Clayton Center meets with the HAC and describes how they renovated an older building and used funding from both public and private sources.

September 12, 2006 - The group visits the Clayton Center.

November 2, 2006 – Elizabeth Woodman and John Delconte meet with Robert Long to discuss long-range strategy for establishing a performance center.  A preliminary name for the project is proposed:  The Hillsborough Community Arts Center.

November 18, 2006 – First visit to the Prizery in South Boston, VA.

January 2007 – Elizabeth Woodman meets with Brenda Stephens, Director of the Orange County library about the possibility of a performance space in the library.  She is supportive of the idea.  John Delconte and Elizabeth meet with Pam Jones, the county’s space planner to review the group’s goals, show her Robert’s  drawings of the Holly Springs Cultural Center (a library/performance space project), to express a strong interest in working on a similar project in Hillsborough, and to listen to her ideas, feedback, etc.

April 21, 2007 – Michael Malone and Maureen Quilligan host fundraiser: An Evening of Song with Andrea Edith Moore, Soprano, and Sophia Pavlenko, Piano.

June 5, 2007 – The HAC hosts a brainstorming session with town representatives and the Arts Center in Carrboro about creating a cohesive plan for arts space in Hillsborough.  The group decides to:

a) Contact the Orange County Commissioners to request that they withhold any decisions regarding reconfiguring the space in the soon-to-be vacated county library (the Whitted building) before the HAC can submit a proposal for the use of that space as a possible community arts center.

b) Create a proposal to the OC Commissioners on how the Whitted building could host a viable arts center.

c)  Call for a town-wide community meeting to gather thoughts and opinions from the community, particularly from potential users of an arts space.

June 22, 2007 - The HAC writes a letter to the Orange County Commissioners proposing that the Whitted building could be converted to an arts center.

December 8, 2007 – The HAC hosts an Art Summit to envision the arts in Hillsborough in 2013.  Participants list the need for arts/performance spaces.  A steering committee is formed to take the next steps.

December 8 and 13, 2007 -  Michael Malone and Alan Gurganus perform “A Christmas Carol,” and donate half the proceeds to the arts center project.

March 26, 2008 – Initial steering committee meeting.  The group decides to make a presentation to the Orange County Commissioners at their next board meeting, underlining the desire to convert the Whitted building to what is now referred to as a “cultural center.”

April 15, 2008 – Six 3-minute presentations are made to the Orange County Commissioners, including closing remarks by Michael Malone.  Over 11 groups support the need for:

• A performance center
• Art Galleries
• Historical Archives
• Arts Programming for adults and children
• Space for local drama groups as well as business convention usage