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Date: 1/11/2022
AMHERST – Amherst College will make a special $200,000 donation to be split evenly between the Jones Library renovation and expansion project and The Drake, a new arts and cultural performance venue for the downtown district.
The donation is in coordination with the institution’s bicentennial and is intended to honor the longstanding relationship with the town.
“Amherst College and the town of Amherst have had a 200-plus-year relationship, beginning with the establishment of a charity fund in 1818 by the citizens of the town to give free instruction to ‘indigent young men of promising talents and hopeful piety,” said Amherst College President Biddy Martin, in a press release. “As we mark the college’s bicentennial, our ties to the town remain strong. We are especially pleased to be providing support for two projects that will benefit the town and are also aligned with our mission.”
The donation, made to the Friends of the Jones Library, will support the $36.3 million restoration, renovation and expansion of the original 1928 structure and the 1993 addition. The project is designed to modernize the interior, repair building systems, increase the facility’s accessibility, add space for children and teen rooms, and improve space for the library’s English as a Second Language program.
The project also aims to significantly reduce the town’s overall use of fossil fuels, increase energy efficiencies and allow the library to reach net-zero in terms of energy usage. Construction is slated to begin sometime in 2022 and be completed by fall 2023.
“Amherst College has been important to the Jones Library from the Library’s inception, recognizing both its centrality in the life of the Town, of which the College is an integral part, and use the many ideals they share. We are excited – and grateful – for the college’s help in providing a facility that will allow us to preserve that role,” said Sharon Sharry, director of the library.
The Drake will be the town’s first purpose-designed and dedicated live performance and music venue and hopes to serve as a transformative and revitalizing hub for the downtown. In addition to live events of all performance types, The Drake will provide an off-campus space for students, a resource for cultural community groups and a destination for visitors. Operation of this project will be overseen by the Downtown Amherst Foundation.
“The Downtown Amherst Foundation is very excited about this gift,” said Gabrielle Gould, executive director of the Amherst Business Improvement District. “We are in the midst of The Drake Capital Campaign and with this donation, we are inching very close to our final goal of $1.1 million.”
Gould added that 100 percent of the Amherst College donation will go to the build-out of The Drake which is planned to open in late March of this year.
“We are at 60 percent of completion of said construction and are looking forward to opening on schedule,” Gould said.
Through Patronicity, a company that helps grow crowdfunding for community improvement projects, $165,155 has been raised according to The Drake’s profile on the site. The goal is to raise $250,000 to assist in the project and Gould feels that the goals will be met in time before The Drake’s scheduled opening in late March of this year.
“We see these two ventures as the most remarkable economic development opportunities, community and diversity builders, and destination creators for the Amherst area. We are so very excited to work with the Amherst College music department on the many opportunities to collaborate with its students, faculty, visitors, and alumni. Together we will create experiences through music and performances for generations to come,” Gould said in a press release.
Darryl Harper said in a press release, “The Drake will provide opportunities to students to present their work outside their campuses with higher stakes and more diverse audiences than they can experience with on-campus performances.” Harper serves as associate professor of music, chair of the Music Department and director of the college’s Center for Humanistic Inquiry.
Harper added, “This kind of engagement fits squarely with our mission at the college. It will bring more artists to the area and will deepen the College’s collaboration with the local community.”