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Midtown Arts Center Rising

Karen Richards

Amid the larger construction projects in Eugene is a small but impactful building at the corner of 16th and Pearl. The new Midtown Arts Center is a unique mixed-use concept.

The Eugene Ballet will own part of the space on the first three floors of the seven-story structure. Several other arts groups will rent from them. Executive Director Josh Neckles says the building’s 40 condominiums will wrap around the artists, “We’ll be able to rehearse ballet through the day, Orchestra Next can have a 60 piece orchestra up there, and not affect those that are living right next door.”

There will be a public gallery, but Neckles says they won’t host performances, adding, “The two larger studios, one is designed to mimic the space in the Silva Concert Hall the other is designed to mimic the space in the Soreng Theater.”

 

He says the current Midtown Arts Center is overcrowded. The dancers are limited vertically as well. Neckles says the new studios, scheduled to open in December, will finally give them enough headroom to practice lifts. 

 

Other groups slated to have space in the new building include: Chamber Music Amici, Eugene Concert Choir, Eugene Opera, and Lane Arts Council. Neckles also mentioned InstaBallet and Orchestra Next, and hopes to provide room for start-up arts groups as well. The Oregon Mozart Players have moved their offices elsewhere. 

 

The Eugene Ballet is a KLCC underwriter.

Karen Richards joined KLCC as a volunteer reporter in 2012, and became a freelance reporter at the station in 2015. In addition to news reporting, she’s contributed to several feature series for the station, earning multiple awards for her reporting.
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