Welcome to the beginning of summer and what a grand one it is starting to become from a number of perspectives. Since our last newsletter there has been much progress in expanding support for the Capital Civic Center project. Alliance members and our membership have really stepped up to support the City and Borough of Juneau in an effort to make this a high-priority community project. Thanks to everyone who has offered their support through letters, testimony and donations.

After an encouraging meeting with Senator Lisa Murkowski in Juneau, we sent two teams to Washington, D.C. to make the rounds with our Congressional delegation. We had very good sessions with the late Representative Don Young, Senator Dan Sullivan and Senator Murkowski and their staff. As yet, nothing concrete but we are optimistic there will be some economic assistance coming through from our federal delegation in the next few years.

As for the near future, the selection process for the project architectural team has closed and we anticipate contract negotiations to be completed by the first week of June. We will make an announcement introducing the team as soon as the ink is dry on their contract. CBJ and our management staff are very pleased with the selected firm. It will take a few weeks for the architect to organize their teams but we should see a project schedule from them in early July. Plenty of advanced notice will be provided when dates are established for public meetings to solicit input and / or review work-to-date.

In other news, we welcome Haifa Foroughi as our newest Partnership Board member and offer thanks to departing Board member Karen Wright for her work with the organization. We would also like to congratulate Nancy DeCherney on her retirement and for her tireless work in managing the Juneau Arts and Humanities Council for the last 17 years. Our current successes could not have achieved without Nancy’s steady work and that of our Board and supporters.  

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, concerns or comments.

Thank you again for your continued support of the project.

Bob Banghart, Partnership Executive Director

Support CBJ’s Capital Civic Center project by purchasing a raffle ticket!

The grand prize is two tickets on Alaska Airlines. Runner up prizes are a Royal Caribbean cruise for two and a local gift basket filled with culinary goodies.

Raffle tickets are $20 each. The drawing will be held at 5pm on Friday, September 2, 2022 at the Juneau Arts & Culture Center First Friday event.

All funds raised will be credited toward a match for a capacity and infrastructure challenge grant awarded  by the National Endowment for the Humanities, and will applied to the arts and culture portion of the proposed Capital Civic Center.

For full prize details visit our website.

Supporter Spotlight

Over the past few decades, Tom Locher has played piano in pretty much every venue in Juneau.

He’s seen the challenges that come with Juneau’s lack of a dedicated performing arts center.

Large productions usually end up at one of the high school auditoriums. Tom said logistics can be difficult in a rented space.

He recalls several performances at a high school that got cut short because no one would figure out how to turn the heat off; during another show at a radio studio organizers wouldn’t get the door alarm to stop going off.

“People need to experience the arts without having to share it with a bar or business, without having to share with a church or a school,” Tom said. “Church and school programming is really important and they should not have to be disrupted so they can make room for the arts.”

Tom supports the city’s proposed Capital Civic Center which combines Centennial Hall with a new arts and culture facility that would have a variety of spaces including a gallery and theater.

He said arts events and productions boost the local economy when people spend money on a night out including hiring a babysitter and going out to eat. Larger events, like the Alaska Folk Festival, bring in people from around the country who rent cars and hotel rooms during their stay in Juneau.

“The arts are not extra. They are not only a cultural outlet for people, they are a significant consumer spending and economic engine,” Tom said.