Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center Opening Soon

The grand opening of the Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center is set for June 10th. But thanks to the Shawnee Mission Post, we get to take a sneak peek inside ahead of time.

The center preserves a time capsule of what life could be like for the technologically advanced in 1954. The original structure served as a model home display for suburban life following World War II. But it is just a small component to the multi-use facility. It will also serve as a home to the Johnson County Museum, and an off-season home for Theatre in the Park.

The building features a beautiful dance studio, programs for emerging artists with developmental disabilities, space for those pieces created in the program to be displayed for public shows and sold to collectors, modern styled lounge and meeting spaces, as well as a gorgeous black box theatre.

The museum itself pays homage to the building’s history by displaying elements from its past. In the meeting lounge, a worktable made from a bowling alley floor indicates the space’s previous life. The facility also once hosted an ice skate rink, and showcases signage and remaining architectural details, such as the wide arched ceiling. InterAmerica Stage, Inc. provided and installed a SkyDeck™ for their black box space. Stretching over 3,500 square feet, the grid provides a safe and flexible working space for overhead access. The grid has also been fitted with track for drapery to walk around the space as necessary for staging.

Check them out here!

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