July 22, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Work Wraps 300-Seat Performing Arts Center

Construction is wrapping up on new performing on center with a 300-seat event venue in the Palms-area.

The new Glorya Kaufman Performing Arts Center (3200 Motor Ave) at Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services is nearly complete after a major renovation and expansion of the non-profit’s beloved 56-year-old temple, AUX Architecture announced this week. In addition to being the future home to Vista Del Mar’s innovative therapeutic performing arts programs, the building will provide the city with a new 300-seat event venue. Construction is scheduled to be fully complete in mid-Spring 2021, with the center opening soon thereafter.

As a multi-use performing arts center, the new building will accommodate dance, music, teaching, and theatrical productions. It is designed to draw neighbors to campus when hosting community events, showcasing the non-profit’s mission to empower regional youth and families.

“This building is designed as a series of vignettes that express music and dance,” says Brian Wickersham, Founding Partner and Design Director at AUX Architecture. “The main goal was to preserve as much of the existing structure as possible, because of the value of the large space, while transforming it into something new, visually. By wrapping the building in translucent polycarbonate we were able to maintain the main gathering space while also completely transforming the look of the building. Our hope is for this building to function as the heart for both the campus and community, by enhancing not only the students’ learning experiences but Vista Del Mar’s visibility and relationship to its neighborhood.”

In designing the building to be the “glowing” new center for the non-profit, AUX Architecture used a façade material that performs at a high level of durability and sustainability. Recyclable polycarbonate wraps around the existing building as an illuminated skin, harnessing natural light and insulating the building. Directly behind the façade, a series of rhythmic columns create an interplay of light and shadow. The Martha Graham dance piece “Lamentation” was an inspiration for screens inside and outside to create the sense of compression and expansion.

In addition to the kids and families who will benefit from the new center for years to come, some of the primary benefactors are children with autism and learning disabilities. The center will provide space for an innovative therapeutic arts program to use performing arts to teach kids a variety of subjects. Spaces are designed to be both inspiring and comforting, with a color palette of light tones, high acoustical performance, and flexible rooms to inspire creative learning models.

This project was made possible by a generous gift by Glorya Kaufman, whose contributions to the arts have benefited so many and will continue to do so for future generations. The Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services’ Premiere Philanthropy Initiative is under the leadership of Vista Del Mar Chief Development and Marketing Officer Craig Prizant. “As our community contends with the pandemic, we’re reminded of the enduring power of the arts to console, heal, create community and uplift lives,” states Prizant. “In our brand-new performing arts center, Vista children and families will have every opportunity to make the journey from surviving to thriving as they participate in our cutting-edge therapeutic dance, music, theater and other programs. We’re so grateful to visionary philanthropist Glorya Kaufman for investing in our children’s futures. AUX has innovated the perfect space in which Vista families and the greater community will find joy as they root and rise by opening their minds and hearts.”

The renovation adds more than 3,000 square feet for a total building area of just over 10,000 square feet.

In December 2020 the Glorya Kaufman Performing Arts Center received a 2020 

Related Posts

(Video) Where great minds grow at The Willows Community School

July 22, 2025

July 22, 2025

The Willows, a DK-8 co-educational school, enrolls 474 students from 57+ zip codes annually. As a balanced, progressive educational leader, experiential learning,...

Mayor Bass, Veterans Demand Troop Withdrawal as Marines Exit City

July 22, 2025

July 22, 2025

Bass, alongside California State Senator and Marine Corps veteran Caroline Menjivar, condemned the deployment as “unnecessary, unprecedented, and unconstitutional.” Los...

Investigators Probe Marina del Rey Site in Deadly LA Sheriff’s Facility Explosion

July 22, 2025

July 22, 2025

The explosion, which occurred Friday morning at the training academy, claimed the lives of Detectives Joshua Kelley-Eklund, Victor Lemus, and...

Culver City Votes to Install Digital Kiosks on Sidewalks

July 21, 2025

July 21, 2025

Projected revenues could range from $750,000 to $1.3 million annually for Phase I, with totals potentially reaching $53 million over...

What We Know So Far About the Santa Monica-Linked Explosion That Killed Three Deputies

July 20, 2025

July 20, 2025

The probe traces back to Thursday, when residents of an apartment complex on the 800 block of Bay Street in...

County Offers $58M in Parks Grants, Hosts Info Session Wednesday

July 20, 2025

July 20, 2025

The grants aim to enhance park equity, access, and environmental benefits, with awards ranging from $100,000 to $4 million The...

(Photos) See Inside This $60M Holmby Hills Mansion Inspired by a Madrid Museum

July 20, 2025

July 20, 2025

Soaring 30-foot ceilings, adorned with 400-year-old Moorish columns and 16th-17th century Florentine carvings, greet visitors Nestled on the prestigious 133...

Nine-Unit Apartment Complex in Palms Hits Market for Nearly $3M

July 20, 2025

July 20, 2025

The property, zoned LAR3, presents a potential value-add opportunity for investors, though specific details are outlined in the offering memorandum...

Punk Rock Tribute Night Set for The Venice West

July 18, 2025

July 18, 2025

The lineup includes Doyle Rules honoring The Misfits, Kill the Poor paying tribute to Dead Kennedys, and Rockaways performing Ramones...

Santa Monica College to Perform “Seussical (Theatre for Young Audiences)”

July 18, 2025

July 18, 2025

The 75-minute family-friendly musical, set in the Jungle of Nool, follows Horton the elephant as he protects a speck of...

California Sues Trump Administration Over High-Speed Rail Funding Cut

July 18, 2025

July 18, 2025

Newsom described the move as a “heartless attack on the Central Valley,” threatening jobs and livelihoods Governor Gavin Newsom announced...

Former Hammer Museum Director Receives Getty Prize, Awards $500,000 to NPR

July 18, 2025

July 18, 2025

Philbin’s tenure at the Hammer saw the launch of the Hammer Projects series and the Made in L.A. biennial, alongside...

Salt & Straw Celebrates Ice Cream Week with Strawberry Shortcake Waffle Cone Through the Weekend

July 18, 2025

July 18, 2025

The item launched nationwide, available with any ice cream flavor or as an exclusive sundae featuring Strawberry Honey Balsamic ice...

LAX Metro Transit Center Boosts K Line Ridership, Overall Metro Sees Slight Decline

July 18, 2025

July 18, 2025

The station completes the K Line, allowing continuous service from Expo/Crenshaw Station to Redondo Beach and enhancing regional connectivity through...