Purchase College Arts Center's $1M 'Shuttered Venue' Lifeline

PURCHASE, NY — The Performing Arts Center at Purchase College won a million dollar grant to help offset losses as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The center was awarded a Shuttered Venue Operators Grant of $1,062,742.41. The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program includes over $16 billion in grants to shuttered arts venues around the country. The program is administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Disaster Assistance.

The Purchase Art Center's application process was spearheaded by Purchase College Associate Director of Development Katherine King. The proposal requested funds to offset losses incurred during the extended closure caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Purchase College Performing Arts Center officials, the award will be used to cover the expense of returning to normal operations.

“Work on this grant application was truly a team effort,” the Performing Arts Center Director Tracy Fitzpatrick said. “I’m grateful to everyone who helped make this transformative grant possible. Its effects will be long lasting and will help us reopen our theatres and bring world -class performing arts back to Purchase.”

While the Performing Arts Center was closed to the public, the organization offered virtual arts programming for all ages through the "PAC in Your Living Room" initiative. The center theaters served as classrooms. The lobby hosted the campus COVID-19 testing center.

"When the pandemic started, our Performing Arts Center, like so many other arts venues, closed to the public and focused on presenting online programs," Purchase College President Milagros Peña said. "We're grateful that during this time, the staff of The PAC opened their doors to our campus community and served as the site for socially distanced classes and COVID testing. The PAC welcomed our students, faculty, and staff and helped keep the community safe, but now it's time for them to do what they do best. This grant will allow the PAC to recover and to prepare to present a robust, innovative season of performances."