AHN Celebrates the Building of a New Fine Arts Center with a Groundbreaking Ceremony

Alyssa Muir, Junior Staff Writer|February 5, 2016

On Tuesday, January 26, construction on the new arts center officially began. The Bailey Family Center for the Arts will be a place where performing art students can excel and perform in a larger area. It will hopefully be completed by the end of the 2016-2017 school year. 

Vivian Kimbler, head of the performing arts, is extremely excited for the arts center to be built. Kimbler comments, “I believe arts education in music, theatre, dance, and the visual arts is one of the most creative ways we have to find the gold that is buried just beneath the surface. Our students have an enthusiasm for life, a spark of creativity, and vivid imaginations that need training-training that prepares them to become confident young women. The Bailey Center for the Arts gives us a home where we can continue to ignite that spark. It’s not just a center, it is our artistic heart and home. The possibilities are endless.”

To celebrate the beginning of the new arts center, a groundbreaking ceremony was held. Both students and faculty of the entire school came out to watch as the first dirt was shoveled, signaling the beginning of construction. President Art Raimo and Mayor Bob Buckhorn spoke about the positive direction the school is heading in, and Father Steve Ryan blessed the new ground. The ceremony also included the participation of several of Academy’s generous donors.

“I really enjoyed getting the opportunity to experience a historical moment for Academy. I also loved hearing the speech from Mayor Buckhorn that I can tell to future AHN generations,” says Maddy Ruppel (10).

Junior Riley Gillis’ favorite part of the ceremony was, “hearing the Quarter Notes unique version of the alma mater.”

The new arts center is not the only step that Academy has recently taken to expand the school. A new parking garage was just finished in early January to accommodate more students driving to school.