The arts will get a new home at the Park School of Buffalo in the third phase of its “Power of Park” campaign.
The goal of the drive, which was announced this week, is to raise more than $15 million to build Naugle Hall for the Visual and Performing Arts and strengthen the school’s endowment.
Naugle Hall will occupy an open space in The Circle, the focal point of the school’s 34-acre campus off Harlem Road in Amherst. Designed by architect David M. Schoell, it will house an art gallery, a media arts center and rooms for band, chorus and drama.
“Visual arts are in a building that’s like a Parisian art studio,” said Keith Frome, executive director of the Park School of Buffalo Foundation. “We have the talent, we have the products, but we don’t have any place to display them.”
Naugle Hall also will include a 400-seat theater for assemblies and performances. Currently, the school has to make do with a 100-seat black box theater.
“When we want to do a production,” Frome said, “we have to do it six times.”
Donations kicked off with two $1 million gifts, Frome noted, the largest in the history of the school. One was anonymous. The other was provided by a current student’s family, for whom the arts center will be named.
“They are a delight to work with,” Frome said. “They’re passionate about the mission of the school.”
The “Power of Park” campaign’s other goal is to improve the school’s endowment from $2.7 million to $10 million. This will help underwrite more scholarships for promising students and better salaries for their teachers.
The first two phases of the “Power of Park” campaign implemented parts of the school’s comprehensive five-year strategic plan adopted in 2022. Buildings were upgraded, the campus was beautified and security was improved with cameras and card-based entry systems. Tennis and pickleball courts also were constructed.
Park School will hold an open house from 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 4. Information about the school and how to support the campaign can be found at theparkschool.org/powerofpark.
Email danderson@buffnews.com.
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Dale Anderson
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