The Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts is officially now open for performances, entertainment and excitment. The New Albany auditorium boasts 36,000 square feet of professional-grade acoustics and sound equipment, adding an ideal performing arts space to the area.

The building, which was officially dedicated Feb. 20, also features a dance studio, dressing rooms, classrooms, a rehearsal area and an event lobby that will also serve as a gallery space, and will be used primarily for students in the New Albany School District.

However, the $15 million, 750-seat center lends itself to much more than just an amenity to the school system. It is also expected to host nationally-recognized performances, popular local performances such as the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, community gatherings, etc.

The idea for such a venue came about in 2002, after discussions were held regarding a possible arts series in the suburb and where it should be held. The idea quickly snowballed into an ideal to build a new library in New Albany (starting with a $1 million fundraising campaign started by the New Albany Community Foundation), and eventually shifted into a major community effort to push for the Arts Center.

The octagonal shape of the center outlines this effort, depicting the building's  relationship to the community - an axis upon which education and culture revolves. The eight points represent the following values: educational, enriching, inclusive, diverse, collaborative, accessible, welcoming and multigenerational.

A second tier represents the many stakeholders who have and will contribute to the art center's success, and a third tier serves as a compass, pointing to the community's educational and cultural center.

The Center is not only convenient and spacious, but it also offers meticulous, state-of-the-art design and technology. For example, the acoustic ceiling ring includes 950 fiber-optic lights that accent the ceiling patterning and enhance the theatrical experience; the permieter walls of the audience chamber have been designed with a dense terra cotta clay block, which is deep red; maple wood is used throughout the interior to accent the elements; and the automated rigging system for the state incorporates technology that provides quiet, safe and efficient movement, the ability for hanging theatrical drapery, lighting instruments, scenic elements and the orchestra shell ceiling panels.

The Center is named after Jeanne Bonnet McCoy, who died in 2006 at the age of 91. McCoy graduated from Bexley High School and from the Ohio State University in 1937 with a bachelor's degree in English. She married banker John G. McCoy in 1941 and he later turned his City National Bank & Trust Co. into Bank One.

The couple moved to New Albany in the early 1990s. They were major Ohio State benefactors, including a $1.2 million gift in 1994 to underwrite the Jeanne Bonnet McCoy Presidential Scholars Fund, which provides two women and two men renewable awards each year. Ohio State presented her with an honorary degree in humane letters in 1995.

The building that is named after McCoy is truly the bridge between school and community she so gracefully emulated.

 Visit www.new-albany.k12.oh.us/artsmomentum/ for more information.