Catawba Avenue in downtown Cornelius has been transformed in a major way since the Cain Center for the Arts opened in January. The two-level, 35,000-square-foot facility, constructed mainly of glass, sits on almost two acres in the heart of downtown Cornelius. The $25 million center was funded with public bond money and private donations. It was seen as a way to create an arts district and revitalize downtown Cornelius. Justin Dionne, the center’s executive director gave WFAE’s All Things Considered host Gwendolyn Glenn a tour of the new facility. Listen to their conversation at the audio link above.
The Cain Center for the Arts
- The center has a 400-seat theater for various types of productions. The Charlotte Ballet will perform Under The Lights, based on the music of Johnny Cash on March 25 and Gina Chavez, a Latin Grammy nominee, is the headliner on April 1. Center officials often offer donated tickets to people who cannot afford to buy one.
- The Cain Center for the Arts has a public plaza that includes a performance pad for concerts.
- The reception area was designed with salvaged wood from the cotton gin that once sat on the site of the arts center.
- The center has a gallery space that until the end of March features an exhibition of glass artist Jacob Phifer of Charlotte.
The Cain Center for the Arts
- Youth can apply for the Cain Center’s music program, which provides a year’s worth of free private music lessons in piano, drums, voice and guitar.
- The center offers art classes and a dance studio is set to open in April.
- The Cain Center is open to the public Tuesday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with performances in the theater most weekends.
