CARLSBAD — Hundreds of supporters gathered on Jan. 27 to celebrate the official grand reopening of the Dea Hurston New Village Arts Center after a yearlong renovation.
New Village Arts, a Carlsbad-based nonprofit, unveiled its refurbished performing arts facility highlighted by a new stage, light and sound systems for its 100-seat theater, a revamped ticket office, a smaller secondary stage to expand its offerings and a large exterior mural spanning the entire back wall of the building.
The $2.8 million renovation began months earlier alongside moving most of its productions to the Flower Fields during the pandemic, according to New Village Arts founder and executive artistic director Kristianne Kurner.
Dea Hurston, a longtime advocate and activist for the arts in San Diego, served on the City of San Diego’s Arts Commission for eight years and is the namesake for the Dea Hurston New Village Arts Center. She is the first Black woman in the country — outside of New York City — to have a theater named after her.
“For me to stand here, as a woman and Black woman, and have this building named after me, I have no words,” Hurston told those in attendance. “This is going to be a destination.”
Guests were also treated to a rendition of “A Million Dreams” from the movie “The Greatest Showman,” by local performing artist Jasmine January. Also, tours were available as the theater gears for up its first show at the center since the pandemic with the debut of “The Ferryman,” on Feb. 4. The show runs through April 5 and stars Joy Yvonne Jones.
The center will also hold its annual gala on March 11.
New Village Arts managing director Rae Henderson-Gray said one goal of the renovation was to create a welcoming space for the community and artists alike.
In addition, the center expects to expand its neurodiverse programming, opening the doors to the public as a community workspace and more programming for children. A secondary stage is where The Foundry, the group’s former space dedicated to visual arts, will serve as a setting for new programs and opportunities.
“This will be an inclusive space for the arts and all people,” Henderson-Gray said.
Jez Butterworth’s “The Ferryman” directed by Kristianne Kurner will run from Feb. 5 through March 5.
