The Roanoker Sept/October 2023 - 45

Arts & Culture
"
R
oanoke was born in 1882, and
grandly celebrated its centennial
in 1982. But it was not
until 1983 - at the end of its
hundred and first year - that
Roanoke found its cultural
heart. Center in the Square,
with its spiraled climb, its rounded, nooked
interior, its confident and relaxed gathering of
the arts of the Valley, is a rarity of late twentieth
century American life - something
which only lives up to, but exceeds its advance
publicity. "
Those were the words written in The
Roanoker's January 1984 issue, as Kurt
Rheinheimer and Carl Hayslett covered Center
in the Square's brand-new opening, and the
sentiment still rings true today.
Center in the Square (CITS) first
opened its doors in 1983, with
the vision of creating a cultural
hub that would
showcase the best of
Roanoke's artistic
and historical
heritage.
" It's
hard to imagine now
that at one time, Center in
the Square's most iconic
building was an abandoned
feed and seed warehouse, "
says CITS President and
General Manager Tara
Marciniak. " The story of
its journey shows how different
types of entities can
come together to accomplish
what seemed nearly
impossible at the time: turn
a dismal, crime-ridden area
into one of prosperity. "
In the early 1970s, a
group of local business
leaders, along with the
city's input, formed a nonprofit
- Western Virginia
Foundation for the Arts and
Sciences (WVFAS) - in
an attempt to create something
to increase downtown
foot traffic. One of those men gifted an abandoned
warehouse in the heart of the city to the
nonprofit in hopes it could become a catalyst
to drive crime out of the area.
" My favorite part of the story is that
those business owners, very affluent
gentlemen, knew that they were
not the ones who physically had
what it took to turn this goal
from dream to reality... but other
local nonprofits did, and WVFAS recognized
that, " says Marciniak.
WVFAS offered nonprofits willing to
relocate into this warehouse two free years of
See the full version of our 1984 feature
on Center in the Square's opening, written
by Kurt Rheinheimer and Carl Hayslett, at
theroanoker.com/CITS40th.
rent, maintenance, utilities, security and more.
Five brave nonprofits took the WVFAS up
on that offer - the Art Museum of Western
Virginia, the Arts Council of the Blue Ridge,
the History Museum & Historical Society of
Western Virginia, Mill Mountain Theatre and
the Science Museum of Western Virginia. In
TheRoanoker.com
December of 1983, they collectively reopened
as Center in the Square. Together, they saw
over 45,000 guests during opening weekend,
giving it the momentum needed to make the
dream a reality.
" After the two free years of rent had passed,
Western Virginia Foundation for the Arts
and Sciences felt that charging the nonprofits
within CITS rent would take away from the
vibrancy of their own offerings, " Marciniak
says. " We are honored to share that now, even
after 40 years, CITS has yet to charge rent to
its beneficiary nonprofit organizations. "
Fast forward to present day, and CITS
is now home to multiple organizations,
including the Harrison Museum of African
American Culture, the Science Museum
of Western Virginia, the Roanoke Pinball
Museum, Roanoke STARCADE, the
History Museum of Western Virginia, the
Mill Mountain Theatre and Kids Square
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 45
http://www.theroanoker.com/CITS40th http://www.TheRoanoker.com
The Roanoker Sept/October 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Roanoker Sept/October 2023
