The Boyd Vance Theatre at the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center has been renovated. In addition to theater improvements, the project included the replacement of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning controls, updated restroom plumbing fixtures, and improved lighting in certain areas. This project was substantially complete in late summer 2024 and is now open to the public! City Council District 1
Background
The George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center is dedicated to the collection, preservation, research and exhibition of African-American historical and cultural material. The Boyd Vance Theatre is an indoor performance space at the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center, located at 1165 Angelina Street. The Theatre space currently seats 134 in stadium-style seating.
Boyd Vance was a stage actor known for advancing African American performing arts in Austin. In addition to advancing performing arts in Austin, Vance worked with the National Task Force on AIDS Prevention and organized and advocated among gay men of color.
The Theatre opened with the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center in 2005 and was named after Boyd Vance in 2006.
Project Description
The renovation project addressed various accessibility issues throughout the facility and theater; replaced the theater house and stage lighting with energy-efficient LED fixtures, updated audio and visual systems for current theatre performance needs, updated the stage rigging and fly cabling system; added new storage solutions throughout the backstage of the theater, installed new dance room and theater stage flooring; replaced the HVAC control and building heating system and restroom plumbing fixtures; and improved lighting in the administrative, conference, and classroom areas.
These improvements to the Carver are separate from the anticipated Phase 1 implementation of the CaverATX Facility Expansion Plan.
Project Timeline
- August 2023: Boyd Vance Theatre closed for construction
- Fall 2023: Construction began
- Summer 2024: Construction complete
- Fall 2024: Open to the public
Funding and Resources
The project was funded by the 2018 general obligation bond.
Contact Information
For more information, please contact Alyssa Tharrett, Project Management Supervisor, by email or by phone at (512) 974-9508.
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