Performing Arts Find New Home at Garrett College

As executive director of the Garrett Lakes Arts Festival in Garrett County, Mary Callis has had to improvise over the years to bring events to the only county in Maryland without a performing arts center. To host a symphony concert, for example, Callis has had to repurpose a ski lodge at Wisp Resort, renting a stage, lighting and piano for the event.

“It was a real production,” she says. “My challenge has always been making venues into something they were never intended to be.”

The ski lodge symphonies will come to an end when the region celebrates the opening of the Performing Arts Center (PAC) at Garrett College, a $21 million renovation and expansion project that will transform a former gymnasium at the community college into a 400-seat, state-of-the-art theatre. Located in Potomac Edison’s service area, the new facility will also include a piano lab, offices, art gallery, catering kitchen and a 2,000-square-foot multipurpose space that can be used for classrooms, conferences, recitals and more. 

“It’s a dream come true,” says Callis, who was named executive director of the PAC in 2019 in addition to her role overseeing the Garrett Lakes Arts Festival, which is the largest presenter of performing arts and arts education in the county. “We’ve never had anything like this.”

The PAC was made possible through more than $16 million in state funding and $4.2 million in county funding. Decades in the making, the project took a major step forward in 2018 when Governor Larry Hogan allocated state funding for the project at the urging of the county, the college and the area’s state legislators.

Late last year the Garrett College Foundation launched a campaign to create a $2.5 million endowment to support the operations of the PAC, and more than $2.4 million has been raised to date. The FirstEnergy Foundation has made two donations to the campaign, including a $10,000 naming gift for one of the PAC’s new offices and another $10,000 naming gift for its light and sound room. The FirstEnergy Foundation has also been a longtime supporter of the Great Lakes Arts Festival.

While the facility will be located on Garrett College’s campus, it will be shared by the Great Lakes Arts Festival, Garrett County Public Schools, the Garrett County Arts Council and Garrett County Government. The college will operate the facility on behalf of the various partners and plans to use the classroom space for courses, workshops and training programs that support the continuing education and workforce development needs of the local business community. The 200-seat multipurpose space, which can be divided into three separate rooms, will also allow the college to host meetings and conferences that it couldn’t before.

“It’s an unbelievable facility for a community college of our size,” said Dr. Richard Midcap, Garrett College's president. “Having the infrastructure, both physical and administrative, to help bring about this collaboration was key.”

The PAC broke ground in 2020 and is expected to open this summer.

"The Performing Arts Center at Garrett College is a cultural and educational asset that will benefit the region for years to come,” said Lorna Wisham, president of the FirstEnergy Foundation. “FirstEnergy is committed to strengthening the communities where we live and work, and we’re proud to support this exciting new facility.”

Garrett College, located in the mountains of western Maryland, is an affordable, public two-year accredited community college. Garrett College offers associate degrees for transfer or career advancement, credit-bearing certificates in specialty fields and an array of non-credit continuing education and workforce training programs. Serving both traditional age and adult students, Garrett College is noted for its small class sizes and personalized attention. 

The FirstEnergy Foundation is funded solely by FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) and provides support to non-profit, tax-exempt health and human services agencies; educational organizations; cultural and arts programs and institutions; and civic groups in areas served by FirstEnergy's 10 electric operating companies and in areas where the company conducts business.

CONTACT: Will Boye, (301) 790-6420