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Cultural Center Plans Two Events

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By ELIZABETH LEE BROWN, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 2, 2008

CARROLLWOOD - The curtains are going up at the new Carrollwood Cultural Center with two upcoming events that will introduce the public to the facility.

The center will host its first concert in the main building featuring local jazz ensembles Feb. 10. Performances during the past two years have been in the adjacent annex.

The concert, billed as "Strike up the Bands," stars jazz bands from the University of Tampa and Blake High School.

Four days later, on Valentine's Day, Hillsborough County officials will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by building tours.

The open house will allow the public to see the regional cultural facility for community arts, music and theater. Volunteers will be stationed in each room to explain to residents how the space will be used.

Executive Director Paul Berg said he is working to get the center and its classes up and running. Telephone lines recently were installed, and he has been handling administrative details, such as coordinating instructors, putting together a class catalog and hiring eight full-time staff members.

The center is expected to open March 3, the day after a grand opening concert on March 2 featuring the Florida Orchestra. About 75 instructors have signed up to teach courses in digital photography, pottery, dance, languages, music and theater.

"We are working furiously to be ready for March 2, and we'll get there," Berg said. "We are working on policies and security and how we're going to deal with the wonderful entity that will be once we open."

The county spent $8 million to purchase and renovate the two former churches at the corners of Casey and Lowell roads.

The two-story cultural center was the former St. Mark's Episcopal Church and features a 616-square-foot stage and an auditorium that seats up to 205 people. It also has a room for arts and crafts classes, a ceramics room with 12 pottery wheels, a dance studio, a music room and a computer lab for digital photography.

Next to the main building is a 6,000-square-foot annex that was the former Church of Christ of Carrollwood.

A contract dispute involving the lighting and sound system that has left the main auditorium in darkness is expected to be resolved Wednesday when county commissioners consider a $42,000 change order to pay for the conduit work. Under the agreement, the Friends of the Carrollwood Cultural Center, the entity that will manage the building, paid $6,700 in additional custom design costs.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: First concert at the new Carrollwood Cultural Center featuring the University of Tampa Jazz Ensemble and Blake Jazz Ensemble and Combo

WHEN: 3 p.m., Feb. 10

WHERE: Carrollwood Cultural Center, 13335 Casey Road

TICKETS: $15; $10 for members of the Friends of the Carrollwood Cultural Center; free for students

INFORMATION: (813) 269-1310

WEB SITE: www.carrollwoodcenter.org

OPEN HOUSE

WHAT: Hillsborough County will hold a ribbon-cutting to open the new Carrollwood Cultural Center

WHEN: 2 p.m., Feb. 14

WHERE: Carrollwood Cultural Center, 13335 Casey Road

Reporter Elizabeth Lee Brown can be reached at (813) 865-1502 or ebrown@tampatrib.com.

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