Later this week, Joplin’s arts and entertainment non-profit Connect 2 Culture will officially mark one year since opening the Cornell Complex. This afternoon, they will hold a ribbon cutting to celebrate.
KRPS’s Fred Fletcher-Fierro has more.
Before constructing the multi-million dollar performing arts theater near downtown Joplin, Connect2Culture had to book multiple venues across the city to hold their performances and two employees worked out of a small office.
Last November, C2C and the Spiva Center for the Arts and ProMusica Joplin all relocated to the Cornell Complex and since then, the facility has held over 400 events with over 28,000 guests attending.
The building has also been home to 39 C2C performance school shows, 197 Spiva classes and outreach camps, and 27 Spiva Art exhibits. Just as important, the Cornell has helped fill a need in the community for a modern home in Joplin for not just performing arts, but all arts.
Earlier this year the results from the Americans for the Arts‘ national study Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 were released.
The study showed that last year alone the art industry in Joplin was responsible for 5.9 million dollars in economic activity that supported 96 jobs.
The ribbon cutting and ceremony today at the Cornell Complex will be held at 2 p.m. It’s open to the public.
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