REEDLEY – In the 1970s, developers at Reedley College planned to build a state-of-the-art performing arts center. However, it took years of planning and the generous donations of community members for the campus to finish the McClarty Center for Fine and Performing Arts.
The new building was welcomed on Nov. 16 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a self-guided tour of the newest building on the campus, which will be 100 years old in 2026. The new fine arts building features the latest in sound control baffling, lighting and audio acoustics that includes a program to elevate and broadcast sound from the stage.
“This is a great moment for all the rural communities because this will be the heart piece. It is our Disney hall, it glows in the dark, it is the mothership – you name it,” Magdalena Gomez, board president of the State Center Community College District said. “This is just the heart and soul of what is to become.”
The center is more than just an auditorium. It includes areas for multiple forms of art media, from paintings and digital art to sculpture including a dedicated outdoor space for displaying creative art. It will also serve as a classroom for generations of performers including theater, music and dance.
Harold McCarty, for whose family the center is named, had the honor of being the first performer on the stage at the new center. McCarty read four poems, the final one written by his 10-year-old granddaughter who was on stage for the recital.
The McClarty family made a $1 million donation to Reedley College to jump-start the development. Funding was also arranged through Measure C, a $485 million bond passed in 2016 that funded 15 capital infrastructure projects such as the new fine arts building at Reedley College.
“Our region is turning into something that is unbelievable,” Assemblymember Jim Patterson said. “Look at what is happening in Central California.”
Patterson was a supporter of the Reedley College Flight School that debuted on Aug. 9, 2024. The program aims to provide education for pilots and air mechanics through the junior college trades programs.
State Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula presented the college with a certificate and commented that he had represented Reedley College for six of the eight years he had been in office. Assemblymember-elect Alexandra Mecado, who replaces the retiring Devon Mathis, will now represent the college. Arambula highlighted the benefit of the new performing arts center in elevating women into the arts.
“All three of my daughters have performed on stage and have gained confidence from being here on stage. I am encouraged to think of what the future holds for each one of us and our community,” Arambula said.
The state-of-the-art facility will provide the opportunity for generations of students to perfect their craft while providing a space available to the local community to see and hear performances from local and culturally-significant performances.