Hundreds Attend National Willa Cather Center Groundbreaking
As they placed their shovels in the dirt on June 5, leadership of the Willa Cather Foundation and acclaimed historian and guest Richard Norton Smith celebrated an important step in the creation of the National Willa Cather Center, breaking ground on the most anticipated part of the renovation, projected to begin later this summer.
In recognition of this milestone, over 200 people attended the groundbreaking celebration and dinner in Red Cloud, which was preceded by a keynote address delivered by Richard Norton Smith. The festivities were held on the opening day of the 60th annual Willa Cather Spring Conference and 15th International Cather Seminar.
In 2016, the National Willa Cather Center will open its doors as a vibrant arts and educational center that will more holistically serve the WCF’s approximately 8,000 annual visitors. Meanwhile, excitement is growing as the transformation of the historic Moon Block continues and a preliminary phase of construction nears completion.
The overarching premise guiding the project is creation of a preservation environment that provides the best possible conditions for perpetuation of and access to the WCF’s extensive and growing collection of rare books, archival papers, photographs, textiles, and artifacts that belonged to Cather and the Cather family.
While the Center’s focus will be a museum, archive, and exhibition space for collections, the restoration will also provide a classroom, expanded bookstore, art gallery, and backstage facilities for the Foundation's Red Cloud Opera House.
“We are indebted to many generous supporters who have invested in making the National Willa Cather Center a reality, and we look forward to welcoming them all for its grand opening next year,” said Board President Tom Gallagher.
With thanks to more than 465 supporters nationwide, a multi-year campaign to create the Willa Cather Foundation’s first climate controlled archive and museum in Red Cloud is just $212,000 away from reaching its $6.7 million goal.