COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) - A family’s $1 million donation will create a permanent home for a theater, ballet company and community orchestra in southwestern Iowa.
The donation from Polina and Bob Schlott will be used in Council Bluffs to help transform an empty building into the Hoff Family Arts and Culture Center, The Daily Nonpareil (https://bit.ly/2ua8bzW ) reported.
The facility will include the Polina and Bob Schlott Performing Arts Center, which will house the Chanticleer Community Theater, the Kanesville Symphony and Ballet Nebraska.
The donation is part of a nearly $25 million campaign led by nonprofit Pottawattamie Arts, Culture & Entertainment to create a center in Council Bluffs that’s a destination for art, theater and entertainment. Renovations for the more than 50,000-square-foot building are estimated to cost $18.5 million. Construction is expected to begin next spring and the building should be ready for occupancy in 2019.
Ballet Nebraska will rename itself the American Midwest Ballet beginning in the 2018-19 season. The company will continue to perform in Omaha and Council Bluffs.
“This will be a tremendous step forward,” said Erika Overturff, Ballet Nebraska’s founder, artistic director and CEO.
The move will help the ballet consolidate its rehearsal, production and administrative functions in one area, which will allow it to be more efficient and productive, Overturff said.
The Schlotts are involved with several nonprofits, including the Iowa West Foundation and Big Brothers Big Sisters. They also have been longtime supporters of the arts in Council Bluffs and Omaha.
Polina Schlott said they’re grateful for the chance to support the arts initiative.
“It is vital for our community to continue to nurture, encourage and support performing arts,” she said. “Arts are essential for advancing modern society through self-discovery, expression, our history, education and creativity.”
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Information from: The Daily Nonpareil, https://www.nonpareilonline.com
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