Sunset Players sign lease with City of Cincinnati
to save historic Dunham Center Building
In what is seen by both parties as a win-win, Sunset Players, the resident drama group at Dunham Arts Center for more than 30 years, signed a 25-year lease with the City of Cincinnati for the Dunham Arts Center building at the Dunham Recreation Complex.
The Arts Center will be repurposed as the Arts Center at Dunham, a true fine arts center for the Westside of Cincinnati. The upper level of the building will contain a 350-seat performance venue, and the lower level, art studio space as well as art programming space. The auditorium will be used not only for performances (Sunset Players plays, concerts, etc.), but also art shows and the like.
As part of this agreement, “This important building is going to be saved rather than being mothballed and or shut down,” says John Wesseling, long time Sunset Players member and President of the Dunham Advisory Board. “The city will no longer be responsible for its utilities and repairs. This will enable CRC to focus on repurposing the newly closed golf course.” The Arts Center is one of three remaining buildings of a hospital complex dating back to 1879. The building, a splendid example of the Art Deco architecture, features an auditorium, terrazzo floors, a bronze entryway, and art deco fixtures.
The Hannaford and Sons-designed building was built as the Arts and Recreation Center for the former Dunham Hospital for tuberculosis patients. The Hannaford firm also designed many historical buildings in Cincinnati, including Music Hall and City Hall. Combining the Arts Center at Dunham with the Dunham recreation center programming, the Cincinnati Reds Miracle Ball field, and the aquatic center, the Dunham Recreation complex is unique in Cincinnati.
Price Hill has been working to redefine itself as an arts community for several years. Creating this vibrant Arts Center on the Westside dovetails with these plans. Beth Andriacco, of Price Hill Will, remarks,”This project is a wonderful collaboration with so many partners at the table. Here we have an arts organization, a community development corporation, a community council, CRC, and City Council coming together to create something that will truly benefit not just our neighborhood but the City of Cincinnati as a whole. Collaboration like this is difficult and time consuming, but all the partners at the table are willing to put in the work and make the Arts Center a true success.”
Working with the Sunset Players to bring an Arts Center to Price Hill are members of the Price Hill Will Arts CAT, the Price Hill Civic Club, and the Price Hill Historical Society as well as the Cincinnati Recreation Commission. “Sunset is currently spearheading this project but we can’t make this happen alone,” Mike Burke, a founding Sunset Players member adds. “It also can’t happen with just Sunset Players, Price Hill Civic, Price Hill Historical Society, and Price Hill Will. We need to get community involvement, interest, and knowledge of this project. For far too many people, the entire Dunham Complex is unknown, let alone a just-starting Arts Center and we need to find a way to let people know that we are here.”
Economically, the Arts Center will be a boon to the entire West Side. For over 30 years, Sunset patrons have enjoyed local restaurants and shops before and after Sunset shows. Expanded adult and children’s programming at the Arts Center will bring increasing publicity not only to the CRC’s Dunham Recreation Center, but also to the West Side as a whole. Angela Klocke Forbes, another Sunset member, sees great things in store for the community through the Arts Center. “The arts center has the potential not only to add intangible value, but also to do things more concrete, like raise property values,” she says. John Wesseling adds, “My greatest hope for this project is to find the funding and support to make this Arts Center at Dunham a truly vibrant art entity that enriches the lives of the whole community.”
Although the groups have been working hard securing funding and cleaning up the Arts Center while waiting for the lease to be finalized, members are ready to face the many hurdles ahead. Upcoming challenges include raising funds for improvements, long-term building maintenance, and ongoing expenses. “That is why we are not only pursuing grants and donations, but also artists who would like to rent studio space in the building,” says Wesseling. The group is 100% volunteer and is trying to do as much work as possible through volunteer hours in order to keep costs low.
Ms. Klocke Forbes adds, “Money is, of course, a primary hurdle. But even more than that, we need involvement. Anyone who has a few hours to spare is so welcome.” The group is planning on opening their 2012/2013 season this October in the Arts Center with”King o’ the Moon” – Tom Dudzick’s sequel to the hilarious crowd favorite, “Over the Tavern”. The play will be directed by Mike Burke. For ticket information or information on donating your time or money to the Arts Center at Dunham, call 513.588.4988 or visit www.sunsetplayers.org.
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