History

Chandler Center for the Arts is a multi-theatre performing and visual arts facility that opened in 1989 as a shared facility between the City of Chandler and the Chandler Unified School District.  The facility is used Monday through Thursday primarily for school arts curriculum and other school activities, and Friday through Sunday for City/or public performances.  In 1989, the City contracted with the Chandler Cultural Foundation, a nonprofit corporation, to serve as the programming and fundraising entity of the Chandler Center for the Arts. Under this scenario, the Center represents one of the most unique organizational structures in the country.

The Center is equipped with three theatres and a 2,000 square foot exhibit hall. With a total seating capacity of 1,536, the unique design of the Center allows for two rear sections of the main auditorium to rotate 180 degrees to become two more intimate performance spaces: The 350-seat Hal Bogle Theatre and the 250-seat Recital Hall.  The walls between the separate performance areas prevent sound interference, thus allowing up to three productions to run simultaneously.  

In 1997, the Center opened a satellite space known as the Vision Gallery in historic downtown Chandler.  The Vision Gallery offers its VISION KIDZ Programs in a variety of mediums. All classes are taught by professional artists interested in promoting the arts in education. All of our classes are underwritten by individuals, corporations and grants underwriting. The classes are offered to the Phoenix metropolitan community free of charge to the participants.

The kids who participate in the Vision Gallery's VISION KIDZ Programs come from all areas of the Valley and represent a wide array of diverse backgrounds. Our program curriculum is designed to promote diversity in arts application, featuring workshops in drawing, watercolor, batik, ceramics, and every medium imaginable. Our workshops are designed to inspire a child's creativity and set an example of how art can be applied to our daily lives.

The VISION KIDZ Program provides children the opportunity to work with a professional artist and create a piece of art that is representative of their creativity. It gives them the opportunity to go home with an artwork in hand and a better understanding of the creative process.