Woodland Community College celebrates grand opening of performing arts and culinary center
- Lake County News reports
- Posted On
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — Woodland Community College, part of the Yuba Community College District, celebrated the completion of its state-of-the-art Performing Arts and Culinary Center, funded by voter-supported Measure J.
The college held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Woodland campus to commemorate the milestone on Friday.
“The Performing Arts and Culinary Center is a testament to Woodland Community College's commitment to providing a holistic education experience for its students,” said Dr. Shouan Pan, Yuba Community College District chancellor. “The new facility is equipped with cutting-edge resources and spaces dedicated to both performing arts and culinary arts, creating an environment that fosters creativity, skill development and collaboration.”
WCC President Dr. Lizette Navarette agreed.
“Education in the arts encourages us to think critically and creatively about the world around us. The Performing Arts and Culinary Center represents a significant investment in the future of education and the arts in our community,” she said. “Woodland Community College looks forward to showcasing student talent through performances and culinary offerings that further connect it to the community.”
Key features of the Performing Arts and Culinary Center include:
State-of-the-art performance spaces: The center boasts adaptable theater and performance spaces equipped with modern audiovisual technology, providing a platform for students to showcase their talents in music, drama and dance. Additionally, the building has a high-density costume storage and fabrication shop, changing rooms, a greenroom and a scene shop.
• Culinary Arts Kitchen: A fully equipped culinary arts kitchen allows students to hone their culinary skills under the guidance of experienced instructors. This space is designed to provide hands-on experience in a professional kitchen setting.
• Collaborative learning spaces: The center includes dedicated spaces for collaborative learning and practice, encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration between performing arts and culinary arts students. The large lecture room contains engaging features, tiered level seating, and student workstations which can be moved around to create workgroups or provide other flexible learning layouts.
• Sustainability: The courtyard has sustainable landscaping and furnishings to provide students and visitors with opportunities to gather or share a meal. All lighting is LED highly efficient lighting and many areas have daylight harvesting features to maximize energy efficiency.
• Community engagement: The Performing Arts and Culinary Center is not only a resource for students but also a hub for community engagement. The 2D art room is spacious with a large gallery walk to showcase Woodland Community College student talent.
College officials, community leaders, faculty, and students are welcome to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Attendees will have an opportunity to tour the new facility following the ribbon cutting.
Measure J, approved by voters in 2006, initiated prompt development at Yuba and Woodland Colleges. The majority of major projects funded by Measure J, including the construction of two satellite campuses, new classrooms, and science and computer labs, were successfully completed by 2014.
Ongoing efforts are directed toward finalizing a new facility at Woodland Community College and implementing various modernization projects on both campuses.