Concept rendering of the addition to Olson Performing Arts Center (courtesy of Helix Architecture + Design)
UMKC Conservatory to expand Performing Arts Center
A new facility for the UMKC Conservatory has been a dream in the community for many decades. In April, UMKC officially launched public fundraising efforts to begin Phase 1 of a two-part expansion/renovation of the James C. Olson Performing Arts Center (PAC) on UMKC’s Volker Campus.
Feasibility and private fundraising for this project began in 2023. Already, they have raised more than half of the projected $35 million total project costs for Phase 1, all from private donors and foundations.
“There’s the willpower in the city to make this happen,” said Courtney Crappell, dean of UMKC Conservatory. “The question was: How do we get there? What’s the path?”
Crappell became dean of UMKC Conservatory in August 2022; coming into the position he knew that a new facility was a priority for the university and community. During the recruiting process, he learned about previous attempts, particularly in 2017, when Missouri’s then-governor vetoed funding for a conservatory campus in the Crossroads, tanking the project.
“I remember my reaction very clearly. I said, ‘Wow, that would be something very difficult to come back from. How do you regroup from such a public project, with so many people invested and such a surprise?’ Then I thought, ‘Wow, that is something … how would you do that?’ And my next thought was: ‘I’d like to go figure that out.’
“It’s actually one of the things that attracted me to apply for the job — the challenge — because the need could not be keener and more relevant for the community,” he said.
He and other campus leaders worked with Helix Architecture + Design to create a concept of what the new facility could look like, with dance studios, rehearsal spaces, support spaces and a black box theater. There is more than a passing resemblance to the Bloch Building at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
“When I first sat down with the architects to talk about the concept, one of the conversations we had was, ‘Let’s do something that makes sense in this place,’” said Crappell. “So we were looking around us, looking at the Cultural Arts District, with the Nelson-Atkins Museum, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, with KCAI, the Plaza and the Paseo Fine Arts Academy, and saying, ‘What does this place need to look like?’ Not to feel different but to feel aspirational and part of the story.”
Crappell notes, however, that concept designs are just that — concepts. He said they are just starting the process of program verification and beginning schematic design, and the end result will probably include modifications to that design.
“As soon as I got into the city, people were asking me, ‘What are you gonna do? What’s the plan?’ There was just that desire and drive to get it done.”
— Courtney Crappell, dean of UMKC Conservatory
The existing facility at 4949 Cherry Street was built in 1979 and shares space with the Kansas City Repertory Theatre. Over the years, there have been many renovations, such as the updates to the lobby, practice rooms, and large ensemble rehearsal space in the Performing Arts Center. The other Conservatory building on campus, Grant Hall, has also had many renovations over the years, including the recital hall and public areas.
But renovations can only take you so far.
Renovations don’t necessarily add space, which allows for increased enrollment, one of the primary goals. Now that the Conservatory includes UMKC’s theater department, it is a comprehensive performing arts school and requires more space to serve the needs of all the students and faculty.
“This project isn’t just about bricks and mortar,” said UMKC Chancellor Mauli Agrawal in the announcement. “It’s about creating a space worthy of our students’ talent. It’s about giving our faculty the tools they need to teach and inspire. And on the practical side, it’s also about building capacity — so we can welcome more students, more collaboration and more connection with the community.”
UMKC Conservatory will seek University of Missouri System Board of Curators approval in the fall for Phase 1, then be able to hire contractors and break ground mid-2026. Should all go as planned, Crappell anticipates Phase 1 being finished by the end of 2027, with Phase 2 wrapping up by the end of 2029. Throughout construction for Phase 1, fundraising efforts for Phase 2 will be ongoing.
“I feel like we have made faster project progress than I expected when I got here,” said Crappell. “And it was because as soon as I got into the city, people were asking me, ‘What are you gonna do? What’s the plan?’ There was just that desire and drive to get it done.”
With this expansion, UMKC Conservatory estimates a potential 40% increase in enrollment, primarily in the dance and theater departments. That could put the Conservatory student population at approximately 650, increasing visibility in the community and creating more opportunities for collaboration and innovation.
“It’s the people who are here that are the real magic,” said Crappell, “but the space will allow them to excel even further, to do this with true creativity.”
For more information about UMKC Conservatory and the expansion, visit conservatory.umkc.edu.
