When last week the City of Plano commemorated the retirement of Deputy City Manager Frank Turner with a retirement party at the Courtyard Theater in Downtown Plano, Frank was presented with a number of special recognitions and gifts—among them, a rendering of the Frank Turner Performance Deck, which will form part of the new ArtCentre of Plano.
The new ArtCentre of Plano is scheduled to open at the end of 2016 at the historic Saigling Home on 902 E. 16th Street, situated on a leafy street adjacent to Haggard Park. It is currently undergoing an extensive renovation to restore it to a 1926 style. Once completed, the ArtCentre of Plano will be opened for spacious art exhibits and activities, as well as for weddings, meetings, and parties.
The Frank Turner Performance Deck
Revealed for the first time during the retirement party, the Frank Turner Performance Deck will be located on the back of the house overlooking the park, but will actually be the main entrance to the new ArtCentre once renovations have been completed. The area will incorporate a restroom building (seen in the right of the rendering), while directly in front, there will be a sculpture garden. “We own a large Barrett DeBusk steel sculpture that will fit nicely in the location pictured,” explained ArtCentre’s Executive Director Suzy Jones.
“The beautiful deck will be available for parties, meetings and events—such as evenings with bands, wine & cheese and art!” Suzy told Plano Profile.
When not rented for private events, the space will be open to the public, and with its close proximity to the park, it is expected to be used daily. The Frank Turner Performance Deck will serve as the main entrance to the new ArtCentre, and the double doors seen in the rendering will open directly into a reception area, gift shop and gallery space. Meanwhile, upstairs will be classrooms and the ArtCentre offices.
Bringing the ArtCentre to the Saigling Home is a natural addition to the growing downtown arts district, which includes the Courtyard Theater; Cox Building Playhouse; Interurban Railway Museum; and Haggard Park’s gazebo, which is the site for Plano Community Band concerts every summer and international arts and dance festivals each year.
ARTCENTRE OF PLANO
Founded in 1981, the ArtCentre of Plano is a private nonprofit organization which aims to promote the growth and development of emerging community arts groups, as well as inspire, support and promote excellence, diversity and vitality in the arts and arts education of the community.
