HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Five renowned Huntsville musical arts organizations have found a new home to fine-tune their talents. The Huntsville Community Chorus Association, Huntsville Master Chorale, Huntsville Youth Orchestra, Huntsville Concert Band, and the Brass Band of Huntsville are among the groups in the freshly unveiled arts wing at the Sandra Moon Community Complex.
With a collaboration with the City of Huntsville and Parks & Recreation, Arts Huntsville is set to oversee a 12,500-square-foot space within the refurbished Grissom School building. This area will be dedicated to providing rehearsal space, private offices, and shared facilities for Huntsville's diverse arts community.
"This marks a transformative moment for Huntsville's arts community," Allison Dillon-Jauken, Executive Director of Arts Huntsville, said. "The persistent need for rehearsal and office space for local music groups and arts organizations will now be met. Children and adults alike will benefit from this one-of-a-kind facility, fostering greater community access to our vibrant local arts scene."
To commemorate the unveiling of the arts wing, there was a ribbon-cutting ceremony on February 1. The event checked off another milestone in the City's multimillion-dollar renovation project of the former Grissom School building, with KPS Group as the architect and Consolidated Construction Company as the contractor.
Mayor Tommy Battle envisions the completed facility as the premier arts complex in the community. "In addition to rehearsal and office space, our local arts groups will have a beautiful event space and a phenomenal theater for performances," Battle stated.
Jennie Robinson, a long-time advocate for the arts and City Council Member for District 3, expressed feeling like ‘Dorothy walking into Oz’. "New walls, new furnishings, and new technology have successfully refreshed the space that had been home to generations of Grissom band students. I am so grateful that a new generation will be able to expand their talents and find joy in music as they perform in what will truly become a home for the performing arts," Robinson said.
Both Robinson and Mayor Battle were close friends and supporters of the late D3 Council Member Sandra Moon, believing she would take pride in the transformation of the former Grissom High campus into a community asset.
The Sandra Moon Community Complex, already housing the South Huntsville Public Library, recreation fields, playground, and pickleball courts, now welcomes a dedicated space for the arts. The City of Huntsville hopes the final phases of the renovations will be completed in 2025.