Editor’s Note: This story is part of a paid partnership between the Chehalem Cultural Center and Newsberg. Thank you so much to the Chehalem Cultural Center for helping keep Newsberg free.

The long-anticipated arrival of the Performing Arts Wing at the Chehalem Cultural Center is making progress toward its Grand Opening in September 2024. 

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The most noticeable changes that visitors to the CCC will notice are that the walls on the mezzanine have been removed, opening up a view to the second floor, and installing a curved staircase leading to the Tri-Family Grand Lobby.

Though unseen by the public, the construction crew has also been making progress in the LaJoie Theatre and on the Jim Halliday Stage as the CCC prepares to reveal its inaugural programming schedule for the space in late June/early July.

In celebration of the opening, Chehalem Cultural Center is putting together a video to tell the visual story of the building’s history, and they’re excited for the community to be a part of it by sharing their memories. 

The new staircase leading up to the Performing Arts Wing. Photo: Chehalem Cultural Center.

Community members are invited to submit any video footage they have of the Chehalem Cultural Center over the years while attending their festivals, camps, classes — and even holding their events, parties, or weddings in CCC spaces. Videos taken on phones or uploaded to YouTube links are both welcome and can be uploaded on their website here.

The deadline for submitting video is June 7.

Additionally, the CCC is asking the community for help in filling a trophy case dedicated to the building’s original life as the Central Elementary School. 

This historical display will live on the second floor of the building and the materials will become part of the CCC’s permanent collection, cataloged, and displayed with the donor’s name. While they gladly accept any submissions relating to Central Elementary School, they are especially interested in items from the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. Requested items include: 

  • Photographs
  • Yearbooks 
  • Textbooks 
  • Posters 
  • Report cards 
  • Scrapbooks 
  • Programs 
  • Student work 
  • Ribbons 
  • Directories 
  • Handbooks 
  • Newsletters
  • Flyers

Stay up-to-date on the progress of the Performing Arts Wing and all of the programming at the Chehalem Cultural Center by signing up for their e-newsletter or following them on Facebook or Instagram.

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