construction

Hancher Auditorium executive director Chuck Swanson says seeing the progress on the new performing arts venue makes him excited for the future. "I just keep focusing on that opening," Swanson said. "It's so close now." The floods of 2008 caused the old Hancher to be unusable. In 2013, construction crews broke ground to start building the new building. With the lights turned on and glossy wood ceilings throughout Hancher, the construction tools covering the floor means crews are working hard to push through the final stretch.

This is the year project leaders — along with the greater university, Iowa City and state cultural communities — have been waiting for since the old Hancher was declared unusable following the flood of 2008. Hancher is poised for a grand return.

In choosing the Person of the Year for 2015, it was the decision of the editorial board to look past the most heated moments of the year and instead turn to that which unites the people of this community: a commitment to the arts in Johnson County that makes this region a cultural capital of the state. For that reason, we have opted to choose Andre Perry, executive director of the Englert Theatre, and Chuck Swanson, executive director of Hancher Auditorium, to celebrate their place as leaders in the arts in and around Iowa City. Their passion and dedication to bringing multivariate attractions and entertainment to the area sets them apart as the worthiest contenders for the honor this calendar year.

Chuck Swanson and Andre Perry are the principal conductors of Iowa City's thriving arts scene, drawing world-class artists to local stages, forging new partnerships locally and beyond, and reaching ever-greater audiences through innovative programming. For their efforts in taking the arts to new heights over the past 12 months through events such as the Englert's inaugural Witching Hour Festival, and in anticipation of what will be a historic 2016 highlighted by the the long-awaited rebirth of Hancher Auditorium, Perry and Swanson are the Press-Citizen's Co-Person's of the Year.

The biggest thing on the 2016 entertainment scene isn't a show. It's the show of all showstopping showplaces, when the new 1,800-seat Hancher Auditorium opens its doors in the fall, closing yet another door in Corridor flood recovery. Closing out Hancher's final season on the road is Bobby McFerrin, the singer whose message of "Don't Worry, Be Happy," continues to inspire listeners. But the 10-time Grammy winner has such a wide range of vocal techniques and styles, that he can sound like a one-man band of lead vocals, harmonies, scat and polyphonic overtones. We can't wait to hear what he has in store for his Hancher milestone concert.

The University of Iowa’s new Voxman Music Building is already making a visual impact on the downtown landscape. And when it opens in August, students, faculty, and the community still will see plenty of sights before they hear the sounds. A new Hancher Auditorium is arising on the other side of the Iowa River and is expected to open in fall 2016. When a new UI Museum of Art eventually is built, it will go downtown next door to the music building.

With autumn in the air comes many exciting Iowa arts events. This month’s Iowa Arts Showcase features Hancher’s upcoming season, plus their plans of moving into their new performing arts center during the spring of 2016 all outlined by Executive Director Charles Swanson.

Cylar Goss-Netser got a feel for carpentry alongside her own father and stepdad Tuesday at Hancher Auditorium. Goss-Netser, 15, a sophomore at Clear Creek Amana High School, was among 15 students from Johnson and surrounding counties who shadowed skilled trades workers on construction sites on the University of Iowa campus.

Iowa City’s original Hancher Auditorium, destroyed in the 2008 flood, is being rebuilt from scratch. The new Hancher will seat 1,800 and is scheduled to host its first show in the Fall of 2016. Little Village recently sent photographer Rachel Jessen to document the ongoing project, and shed light on those who’ve worked tirelessly to bring a brick-and-mortar Hancher back to Iowa City.

From sitting in the Hancher Auditorium audience as a child to performing on its stage and launching a career touring across the country, one successful Iowan is excited about the opening of the new Hancher. Susan Werner, who has a longtime Hancher connection as both a guest and performer, said the new facility will open up so many more doors than just a theater.