The Forest Hills Fine Arts Center Marked Its Fifth Anniversary in April 2009

• The FAC hosted over 76 school concerts and programs and 83 school rehearsals with approximately 6,500 different students; several educational workshops, over 316 Community Adult and Youth Enrichment classes; and over 130 parent/staff meetings. This combined usage represents 83% of the FAC’s availability.

• With the remaining time, the Fine Arts Center generates revenue through rental income and ticket sales, sponsors, concessions, and advertising from the professional series, to help support operational costs.

• Celebrating a milestone fifth anniversary season, the Fine Arts Center presented a season with almost all sellout shows that included a far-ranging lineup of music legends including country music’s Clint Black, everyone’s favorite five-time Grammy winner Michael McDonald, the highly popular Three Dog Night, and R&B icon Phoebe Snow capped off with the daredevil Golden Dragon Acrobats, and Billy Joel’s fabulous Broadway musical, Movin’ Out.

• Area businesses and organizations generously have sponsored our professional series this past year. These include: Macatawa Bank, Ameriprise Financial, Huntington Bank, Smith Barney, and Forest Hills Foods. In addition, partnerships with The Grille at Watermark, Saturn of Grand Rapids, Juhas and Sullivan Jewelers, Daylily Floral & Gifts, Hilton Grand Rapids Airport, Jeff Dykehouse Photography, and Regent Broadcasting support the presentation of the professional series..

• The Artist-in-Residence Series showcased another six local artists with exhibits, and presented workshops to over 300 students and community members. Centennial Securities Company continues to support the arts by sponsoring all exhibits and the Artist-In-Residence (A.I.R.) program at the Fine Arts Center. In addition, the FAC hosted the incredible Fifth Anniversary Retrospective Exhibit featuring artwork from all 29 past artists-in-residence. Additional support for the AIR/Exhibit Program is given by D&W Fresh Market, Daylily Floral & Gifts, and Falcon Printing.

• The Forest Hills Community Adult and Youth Enrichment classes included Pilates, Zumba, Yoga, Bellydancing, Guitar Basics, Musical Theater for Young Performers, Art Journaling, Watercolor, Drawing and several other painting classes.

• We are the home of the Forest Hills Children’s Chorus. The Chorus is made up of 50 fourth and fifth grade students from all Forest Hills Public Schools.

• Over 100 students participated in the 2008 Summerstock production of Disney’s High School Musical and another 90 students participated in the 2009 Summerstock production of Footloose.

• The FAC continues to provide video and audio production training for high school students.

• An average 2,300 people weekly have used the Fine Arts Center during the past year.

• Over 400 volunteers have been trained to assist with events and office operations for a contribution of 2,200 hours of service this past year.

• Corporate rentals include GE Aviation, the Grand Rapids Association of Realtors, Spectrum Health and an Aerial Angels Video shoot.

• In addition to corporate rentals, the FAC was honored to host special events for The Grand Rapids Symphony Family Series, The Grand Rapids Ballet, the Grand Rapids Symphonic Band, the Keller Cooler Music Series, Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids Community College, Integrated Architecture-USGBC LEED Workshop, the West Michigan Youth Ballet and the Grand Rapids Public Schools Arts Advocates/Arts Jam, to name a few.

Forest Hills Fine Arts Center LEEDS the Way in Responsible Design

Behind the dramatic concrete and glass façade of the Forest Hills Fine Arts Center lies a heart of…green. Continuing a tradition of environmental responsibility and stewardship established with the creation of the Goodwillie Environmental School in 2001, the state-of-the-art Fine Arts Center is the fourth Forest Hills Public Schools facility to meet the stringent criteria of the United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification program. In 2006 the Fine Arts Center was the first public facility of its type to receive LEED certification in the U.S.

Since its introduction in 1999, the highly respected LEED system has become the international standard for assessing buildings for energy efficiency and their impact on the environment. The painstaking certification process addresses critical issues in site and building design; mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems; materials selection; and construction methods; to ensure energy-efficient, environmentally-friendly results. The principles set forth by LEED guidelines were incorporated in the planning and design of the Forest Hills Fine Arts Center, and observed with care throughout its construction, to shape a cost-effective facility in perfect harmony with its natural surroundings.

The long list of details that distinguish the Fine Arts Center as green may not be obvious at first glance. The steel, concrete, and glass that form its shell all contain recycled content, and more than half of the wood products used in its construction came from forests that observe Forest Stewardship Council guidelines. Specially formulated adhesives, sealants, paints, and carpets won’t compromise indoor air quality, and carbon dioxide monitors designed into the mechanical system assure that fresh air levels are maintained throughout the building. Unlike most auditoriums, the airflow for the theater is provided from the floor as opposed to the ceiling, creating energy savings and a quieter, more comfortable environment. Special plumbing fixtures promote water conservation, while outside, over-sized green islands in the parking lot collect rain water, control run-off, and provide natural filtration of groundwater.

Forest Hills Fine Arts Center Receives Awards for Design and Material Use
Awards Received as of October 2006

United States Green Building Council LEED Certification
Certificate of Accreditation and Silver LEED Award

American School & University Portfolio
Forest Hills Fine Arts Center received a Specialized Facility Citation in the 2004 American School & University Architectural Portfolio Issue

AIA – Michigan Chapter
2005 Honor Award

AIA – Wisconsin Chapter
2005 Award of Merit

AIA – Grand Valley Chapter
2005 Sustainable Honor Award
2005 Building Honor Award

Michigan Institute of Masonry
2005 Honor Award

Western Michigan Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors
2004 Inaugural Award of Excellence for Green Building
2004 Mechanical Systems Under $10 Million