Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center - Archive

The Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center is a vital active hub for emerging and established artists and arts organizations. The Performing Arts Coalition conceived the project after completing a community cultural needs assessment. This center grew out of a need for additional rehearsal space for the tenants at Capitol Theatre as well as affordable performing spaces for the myriad performing arts companies that have developed over the last 25 years. Theatre Projects Consultants were hired to prepare the needs assessment and to develop a design scheme for the new performing arts center.

     The Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center is an excellent example of a public/private funding partnership. Salt Lake County and the Redevelopment Agency of Salt Lake City are the public components of this partnership, with Salt Lake County managing the Phase II construction and ultimately operating the facility once completed. Over seven million dollars was raised by the private sector to complete the partnership. The facility is named after major donor I. J. Wagner's mother, Rose. The Leona Wagner Black Box Theater is named after Mr. Wagner's sister and the 500-seat theatre is named after Mr. Wagner's late wife, Jeanné.