Since 1986, when Yo Yo Ma and Isaac Stern performed for the inaugural celebration, the Maine Center for the Arts has proved itself as the cornerstone for the arts in eastern, northern and central Maine. For 22 years, more than 4 million patrons have passed through its doors, and schoolchildren and teachers by the thousands have been exposed to the world of performing and material arts with their visits to the MCA’s Hutchins Performance Hall and its renowned Hudson Museum. The MCA is also home to the Bangor Symphony Orchestra, the country’s longest-running community symphony.

Throughout its history, the MCA has served patrons of all ages and cultural tastes from across our region – from classic to country, opera to acrobats, ballet to bagpipes, it has been your stage to the world of the performing arts. And the Hudson Museum is home to one of the country’s most spectacular collections of pre-Columbian, native North American and African artifacts. It is truly a remarkable collection right here in your community.

And now, after 22 years of service to the community, the MCA is having its first major renovation. The center was closed last fall, and contractors are busy modifying and upgrading the building to conform to 21st century standards. When they are done, the new MCA will shine even brighter than it did on that wonderful night in 1986.

The renovation project is a very complicated undertaking. The architects, engineers and the general contractor under the management of the University of Maine facilities department have been working for many months to design a new MCA inside the walls of the existing structure. Some of the more significant upgrades include a new entrance facade, improved access for the handicapped, the integration of the Hudson Museum’s display space, new food service facilities, flooring, lighting and bathrooms, plus improved acoustics in the Hutchins hall. In addition, what visitors won’t see is the 16 tons of steel being retrofitted to meet Maine seismic codes and more than $2 million in fire and smoke remediation equipment required in today’s public buildings.

Even with these elements and the complications of renovating a building of this size and scope, the project is on schedule and on budget. The Phase I budget is $11 million, with another $6 million needed to complete Phase II.

Fundraising is nearly completed for Phase I with more than 50 percent of the funds coming from private gifts and pledges, led by the $5 million gift and pledge from Dick and Ann Collins. Of this, $3 million will be used for an endowment for the MCA with the remaining $2 million going toward the renovation. The remaining funds have come from state grants and the university.

But while we complete fundraising for Phase I, the MCA advisory board and many of the center’s long-term supporters and benefactors are determined to raise the funds necessary to complete Phase II. The $6 million required for Phase II will have to come from private gifts and pledges. It is a tall order, but given the benefits that would be derived from completing the entire project at once, it makes absolute sense.

Over the past 10 years there has been a dramatic change in the performing arts productions that travel around the world and bring cultural enlightenment and joy to millions every day. These new performance companies require larger stages, state-of-the art lighting and scenery control, more dressing room space, and basic logistical capabilities to unload their production equipment and materials. Currently, the size of the Hutchins hall stage is a challenge even for the Bangor Symphony.

That’s where Phase II comes in. If we can accomplish Phase II in conjunction with the current renovation, we can put the MCA on an even more solid footing for years to come. A new stage, enhanced performance technology and better back-of-the-house facilities will create a world-class environment for the performing arts in the region. If we delay and pass up the opportunity to complete Phase II, we will be faced with the uncertainty of rising costs and the need to once again close the MCA.

So what can you do to help make this happen? The MCA advisory board and the Friends of the MCA are ready to help you get involved. Whether it’s a personal gift, a gift from your company or direct assistance in working with potential donors, we welcome your support and encourage you to act now. This is about the vitality and cultural legacy of our greater community and the continuation of the tradition of supporting the arts that was behind that wonderful evening in 1986.

Richard C. McDonald of Kennebunk is president of the Maine Center for the Arts Advisory Board.