This fall, the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center marks 25 years of bringing world-class performances and community together.
On Sunday Nov. 2, the university will host a rededication ceremony celebrating the completion of the center’s newest addition, featuring a donor recognition event, capped with a performance by the world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
The expansion includes the popular Marquee Lounge, a stylish new gathering space that has quickly become a fan favorite. “People love it,” said Steve Carignan, executive director of the Gallagher Bluedorn. “It provides us a way to lean into the social experience of an audience sharing a live show.” Additional upgrades include new seating, expanded restrooms and accessibility features.
For Carignan, the 25th anniversary is as much about people as performances. “For 25 years the Gallagher Bluedorn has brought a broad spectrum of touring artists that range from Broadway’s biggest hits to country and comedians,” he said. “This year we celebrate with even more once-in-a-lifetime experiences.”
He recalls moments that capture the magic of live performance — from hosting stars like Gregory Hines, Bonnie Raitt, Yo-Yo Ma and George Carlin, to seeing local children light up during the center’s school programming, Kaleidoscope. “You can actually see them get hooked by the story — they radiate unmoderated joy,” he said.
Beyond the stage, the Gallagher Bluedorn has deepened its community impact through initiatives like the “Buck a Kid”, neighborhood block parties and partnerships with local arts groups. “The shows we’ve produced with community theatres, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony and UNI’s School of Music and Theatre show that local talent, with proper support, is every bit as good as national touring artists,” Carignan said.
The Gallagher Bluedorn’s opening was a result of more than half a century of persistence and belief that arts belonged at the heart of campus life. Finally, the project began work in 1997 and was ready for visitors three years later, with its official grand opening in April 2000.
The idea dates back to 1944, when the Iowa General Assembly first imagined a performing arts center for the State Teachers College. For decades the project stalled due to shifting priorities and limited funding. Through the 1960s and 1970s, committees and class gifts kept the dream alive, even as progress remained slow.
Momentum returned in the 1980s through the efforts of Howard Jones and Ron Ross, who pushed for a facility that could serve both the university and the broader community. A 1986 study recommended locating the center on the UNI campus, and by 1988, a formal planning committee was in place.
The project gained real traction in the early 1990s, fueled by community fundraising and volunteer spirit. “Although some said they wouldn’t attend the arts center that often, they wanted it to exist for their grandchildren,” said vice president for principal gifts and former alumni director, Noreen Hermansen, who helped lead the faculty and staff campaign that raised over $1 million.
By 1996, all $19 million needed for construction was secured. When the Gallagher Bluedorn finally opened in April 2000, it was both an architectural and acoustical achievement — designed as several sound-isolated structures to allow multiple performances at once.
Today, as the Gallagher Bluedorn celebrates 25 years, it stands not just as a building but as a living testament to decades of vision, generosity and shared belief in the power of the arts.
For upcoming anniversary season events and ticket information, visit www.gbpac.com.
