History

An Innovative Idea

In the mid 1980s, Chandler Mayor Jerry Brooks was seeking to attract tech companies to the city of Chandler as part of his economic development plan. Mayor Brooks knew Chandler could be an attractive location for companies if it could illustrate its high quality of life, including stellar schools, arts and entertainment options, and nice sunny weather.

At the same time Mayor Brooks was pondering how to compete with other cities, the Chandler Unified School District was planning to build an auditorium for its high school. It was then that Mayor Brooks got an idea. 

“Originally I was engaged to design a high-school auditorium which I was in the process of designing,” said Dr. Wendell Rossman of SPS+ Architects. “But one morning, I was having a technical discussion with the project director, and in walked the superintendent and the mayor. The mayor said, “Stop everything! We have decided to work together on this, between the Chandler Unified School District and the City of Chandler.”

Rossman’s resulting design for the Chandler Center for the Arts is an acoustical and technical masterpiece, providing a superb quality of sound for live performances. The central feature of the Center is its turntable-divisible auditorium, which allows for two rear sections of the main auditorium to rotate 180 degrees to create two more intimate performance spaces that can be used at the same time: The 346-seat Hal Bogle Theatre and the 250-seat Recital Hall. For large-scale performances, the “pods” open to create the Center’s full 1,508-seat theater.

Patrons and artists alike have hailed the Center’s acoustics as being among the best in the country and world. The walls between the separate performance areas prevent sound interference, thus allowing up to three productions to run simultaneously. As envisioned by Mayor Brooks and other community leaders, Chandler Center for the Arts is a “shared-use” facility, hosting major performing artists and cultural events each weekend, and hosting Chandler Unified School District students during the week, primarily for school arts curriculum and student performances.

The Chandler Cultural Foundation, formed in 1989, is the nonprofit organization that serves as the programming and fundraising entity of the Chandler Center for the Arts. The Chandler Center for the Arts serves over 160,000 people annually, with a full calendar of performances and concerts of nationally and internationally recognized artists and entertainers, its outreach programs for youth, and its dedication to the visual arts with rotating exhibitions in its gallery space, The Gallery at CCA.

Wendell Rossman, Architect

Phoenix Architect Wendell Ernst Rossman  (Nov 21, 1923 - June 22, 2017) led the design team for the Chandler Center for the Arts. His experimental work in concrete forms during the 1960s, such as St. Maria Goretti Church and Arizona State University's Manzanita Hall, are now local landmarks. Rossman developed the Turntable-Divisible Auditorium for Chandler Center for the Arts, a design solution that has now become widespread internationally. He is also known for designing the Skydome at Northern Arizona University, considered the largest wood-frame structure in the world. His architecture firm SPS+Architects was established in 1960, setting a precedent for innovative design. The architecture firm continues the design traditions of Rossman still today. 

CCA Leadership

James Baudoin

 General Manager 1988-1997

As the Chandler Center for the Arts prepared to open its doors, James Baudoin played a defining role in shaping the institution’s early identity and operational foundation. Serving as the Center’s first General Manager, Baudoin guided the transition from architectural blueprints to a fully functioning performing arts venue, laying the groundwork for one of Chandler’s most significant cultural assets. His leadership spanned the Center’s formative years, during which he collaborated with the City of Chandler, the Chandler Unified School District, arts organizations, and community stakeholders to establish programs, build patron services, and coordinate the Center’s initial performance seasons.

Baudoin’s expertise in arts facility management and theater planning ensured that the new venue opened with a strong operational framework and a clear artistic vision. His work helped position the Chandler Center for the Arts as a regional destination for performance, creativity, and cultural expression. After his tenure at CCA, Baudoin continued to apply his leadership and planning skills nationally, contributing to the development of performing arts venues and cultural institutions.
 

Katrina Pappas

General Manager 1998-2014

Katrina Pappas’ connection with the Chandler Center for the Arts began in 1988, when she joined the organization as an intern, just before its grand opening. She quickly became an integral part of the Center’s operations and artistic life. In 1989, she was promoted to Patron Services/Events Coordinator, a position she held until 1998, when she became General Manager.

As General Manager from 1998 to 2014, Pappas directed a staff of 30 and oversaw more than 100 volunteers, managing a combined budget of $2.9 million, including funding from the City of Chandler, the Chandler Unified School District, and the Chandler Cultural Foundation. She guided the Center through significant growth, broadening programming, strengthening community partnerships, and expanding arts education initiatives that reached students and families across the region.

Pappas led more than $7 million in capital improvement projects, secured over $1 million in grants and sponsorships, and implemented online ticketing improvements that increased affordability and convenience for patrons. She served as ex officio President of the Chandler Cultural Foundation, the nonprofit's programming and fundraising arm, managing all Foundation affairs and collaborating closely with its board of directors.

Known for her thoughtful leadership and commitment to accessible arts experiences, Pappas enhanced attendance, diversified the Center’s offerings, and solidified its reputation as a key cultural institution in Chandler. Her tenure reflects a career dedicated to nonprofit arts leadership, community engagement, and the development of a welcoming, sustainable arts organization.
 

Historical Timeline and Key Dates

• 1988 Groundbreaking at Chandler Boulevard and Arizona Avenue
• 1989 Chandler Cultural Foundation Formed
• 1989 Hal Bogle Theatre Dedicated
• 1989 First performances of Ballet Etudes & Spirit of Christmas
• 1989 August 25 ~ Chandler Center for the Arts Grand Opening with comedian Steve Allen
• 1996 First Summer Concert Series
• 1997 Vision Gallery Grand Opening
• 1998 First Annual Mariachi Festival
• 2001 February 10 ~ Chaka Khan Performance
• 2006 Chandler Center for the Arts Receives the Governor’s Arts Award for Community Contribution
• 2006 Institution of the Chandler Cultural Foundation Arts Awards
• 2006 The Bogle Family receives the first Chandler Cultural Foundation Applause Award, APS receives the first Chandler Cultural Foundation Business Award
• 2007 Chandler Cultural Foundation Arts Awards: Zeyna Kirdar - Applause Award, SRP – Business Arts Awards
• 2008 Chandler Cultural Foundation Arts Awards: Steena Murray - Applause Award, The Virginia G. Piper Trust – Business Arts Awards
• 2009 Chandler Cultural Foundation Arts Awards: Midge Karczewski - Applause Award, The Crowne Plaza Resort & Conference Center – Business Arts Awards
• 2009-2010 $6.7 million in renovations – create plaza, glass installations, infrastructure and signage
• 2009 First performance of Zoppé, An Italian Family Circus
• 2009 Chandler Center for Arts begins offering Summer Theatre Camps, Circus Camps and School Break Camps for Kids
• 2011 Chandler Cultural Foundation Arts Awards: Harriet Barnes Rickert - Applause Award, Serrano’s Restaurants – Business Arts Awards
• 2012 First “Eat Your Art Out Chandler” Fundraising Event
• 2012 Chandler Cultural Foundation Arts Awards: Jerry Brooks - Applause Award, Chandler Regional Medical Center – Business Arts Awards
• 2013 Chandler Cultural Foundation Arts Awards: Jay Gorham - Applause Award, Brighton Collectibles – Business Arts Awards
• 2014 Chandler Cultural Foundation Arts Awards: Gary and Lydia Gonzales - Applause Award, Wells Fargo – Business Arts Awards
• 2015 Chandler Cultural Foundation Arts Awards: Don and Mary Henegar - Applause Award, Ocotillo Golf Resort – Business Arts Awards
• 2015 Chandler Cultural Foundation Adopts Program Investment Fund to present emerging and innovative artists
• 2016 Chandler Cultural Foundation Arts Awards: Linda Yarbrough - Applause Award, Intel Corporation – Business Arts Awards
• 2017 Chandler Cultural Foundation Arts Awards: Bob and Sharon Meko - Applause Award, Crescent Crown Distributing – Business Arts Awards
• 2018 Chandler Cultural Foundation Arts Awards: Anne DeRose - Applause Award, Big Two Toyota Scion of Chandler – Business Arts Awards
• 2019 Chandler Cultural Foundation Arts Awards: Jeanne Forbis - Applause Award, First Credit Union – Business Arts Awards
• 2019 Chandler Center for the Arts undergoes brand refresh with a new logo