KC Young Audiences celebrate new home in midtown

After 55 years, Kansas City Young Audiences finally has a home of its own.

On Saturday, the arts education group which offers youth lessons in music, dance, acting, improv and other art disciplines, welcomed students and parents to its new location at 3732 Main St.

“After all this time, this is a thrill,” executive director Martin English said at the grand opening celebration which drew about 250 persons. “We’re going to love being in the heart of the city.”

Marketing director Marty Arvizu nodded.

“This is the first time we’ve been able to put a sign on a building,” she said.

Last May, the organization announced the $3.1 million purchase and renovation of the vacant midtown building which had formerly housed an OfficeMax store. The project received financial support from the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation, the Hall Family Foundation and the J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation.

On Saturday, visitors toured the new auditorium, dance studios, improv rooms and individual classrooms.

For the last 12 years, Kansas City Young Audiences had been located on the campus of St. Teresa’s Academy. The search for a new home began when St. Teresa’s said it would not renew the lease because of the school’s own expansion.

Arvizu said the forced move worked out best for everyone, especially students and parents.

“Now families can have a student in ballet, another in improv and and another in garage band — all here in the same place at the same time,” she said.

Colin McDonald, 14, a garage band music student, was happy with the new midtown digs.

“I used to tell people I learned to play drums in a bowling ally for nuns,” he said, referring to the former location at St. Teresa’s, which had a bowling ally for resident nuns.

Kansas City Young Audiences was founded in 1961 to provide arts education programs in the Kansas City area. Artists, teachers and arts organizations take many of the lessons to schools. Last year, more than 114,000 children participated in various programs.

This story was originally published January 21, 2017 at 12:35 PM with the headline "KC Young Audiences celebrate new home in midtown."