In December 2022, officials from the City of Hattiesburg announced a $219,240 grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission Building Funds for the Arts Program for the renovation of the Paper Warehouse Theater, a performance space in the Hattiesburg Community Arts Center on North Main Street.
The results of that measure were displayed at a January 29 news conference at the arts center – which is located in the former Hattiesburg American building – when Mayor Toby Barker and other officials unveiled the renovated space, which serves as a black box theater. The performance space is now optimized for flexibility and creativity in stage configurations and presentations.
“I think we have so much talent here, and we have so many people who just have something they need to say or perform,” Barker said. “Now they have a space to do it, that’s for them, that’s of their choosing.
“We’re excited for what this means for downtown, but also (what it means) as we continue to foster the mission of this arts center.”
The grant covered the costs of construction to reconstruct the 6,000-square-foot space for better flow and organization for audiences, theater participants and show directors. Theater-grade trusses, a lighting system, a sound system fit for theater productions, staging and retractable seating also were purchased under the grant.
“If you look at it prior (to this), it was a lot of grey concrete walls and not a lot of functional space – people had to bring in their own sound and lights,” Barker said. “What this allowed the public to do was come in and rent the space for a lesser cost than what it was before, and you actually have access to the sound and lights, which is a big part of putting on a show.
“So to have a place where artists, arts organizations and theater groups can have a really state-of-the-art space with really good sound and lighting, that allows them to say what they want to say and perform what they want to perform, (is great).”
The city matched the grant with more than $100,000 of revenue from the additional 1-percent tax on Hattiesburg restaurants, hotels and motels that was given the green light by Hub City voters in April 2019 with an 81 percent approval rate. Half of those funds are earmarked for 17 Parks and Recreation Department projects around the city, while the other half is being used for renovations at Reed Green Coliseum on the University of Southern Mississippi campus.
In addition to renovations at the arts center, the 1-percent funds also have funded projects including, but not limited to, a walking trail extension at Duncan Lake, lighting improvements at the Tatum Tennis Court Complex and the replacement of the gymnasium floor at Thames Elementary School, among several others.
The theater project also was supported in part by funding from the Mississippi Arts Commission, a state agency, and in part, from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
“This is an amazing thing, to be here tonight,” said Larry Morrisey, deputy director of the Mississippi Arts Commission. “The arts commission met in Hattiesburg back in June (and took a tour) of the building … and it’s amazing to see it so quickly done, and to see it done so well.
“This is going to be an excellent resource for the community.”
