[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 129 (Tuesday, September 4, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1792-E1793]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CONGRATULATING THE CITY OF TEMPE ON THE GRAND OPENING OF THE TEMPE 
                          CENTER FOR THE ARTS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. HARRY E. MITCHELL

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, September 4, 2007

  Mr. MITCHELL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the gala 
opening of the Tempe Center for the Arts, in my hometown of Tempe, 
Arizona. This wonderful event has been years in the making, and is the 
culmination of the collective efforts of our citizens, volunteers, and 
city staff under the leadership of a forward-thinking mayor and city 
council.
  This opening could not have happened without the visionary voters of 
Tempe who, in May 2000, demonstrated their commitment to local arts by 
passing Proposition 400. That measure dedicated a small source of 
funding to support the development, construction and operation of the 
center.
  This opening would not be possible without the leadership of the 
Tempe City Council--both past and present--who under the leadership of 
former Mayor Neil Giuliano, I showed an unyielding commitment to making 
Tempe an even stronger community. Their foresight helped make the 
Center for the Arts one of the hallmark structures along the shore of 
the Tempe Town Lake--a shining reminder of how the arts can enrich our 
lives every day.
  Let me also recognize the unsung heroes of this project: the Tempe 
city staff and the army of volunteers who worked every day, and made 
significant sacrifice, to make this project a reality. Their work 
serves as a glowing example of what great things can happen Tempeans 
work together.
  Let me tell you something about this magnificent facility. It is a 
truly multipurpose building with 88,000 square feet, complete with a 
600-seat theater, a 200-seat studio, 3,500 square feet of gallery space 
for showcasing visual art and 3,400 square feet of meeting and event 
space. The art theme even extends to the outdoors with a 17-acre park 
and sculpture garden.
  The building itself is a work of art designed by Tempe's own 
Architekton in collaboration with Barton Myers Associates of Los 
Angeles. The soaring roofline and expanse of windows overlooking the 
Tempe Town Lake truly makes this a ``jewel in the crown'' for the City 
of Tempe and its citizens.
  What I really appreciate about the new Center is that it has been 
driven by citizen input from the very beginning. At the outset, the 
Tempe Municipal Arts Commission worked tirelessly on all aspects of the 
project and stayed true to the vision of a professional level facility 
which would serve the community.
  Just last year, the Friends of the Tempe Center for the Arts formed 
as a separate non-profit entity whose stated mission is to ``support 
the artistic activities of the Tempe Center for the Arts; support a 
system of funding through public, private and philanthropic sources; 
encourage and foster appreciation of the arts for future generations, 
and help to develop the Tempe Center for the Arts to be known in the 
community and regionally as a dynamic center for exciting cultural 
experiences.''

[[Page E1793]]

  Based on the quality of the finished project, I would have to say 
that the original vision is well on its way to fruition.
  To the thousands of people who had a hand in bringing this wonderful 
venue to the citizens of Tempe, I say thank you and well done.

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