Renovation set for Clowes Hall

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Clowes Memorial Hall is slated for a makeover thanks to a $2 million grant.

The project will include new seats and carpet, along with acoustical enhancement and roof and wall repairs. The auditorium at Butler University will be 50 years old next fall.

The Allen Whitehall Clowes Charitable Foundation – named for the son of George Clowes, who originally conceived the idea of the arts venue - provided the grant.

"This generous gift comes at a perfect time as we look back on Clowes Hall's first 50 years and forward to Clowes' next 50," said Elise Kushigian, executive director of Clowes Memorial Hall. "We're grateful to the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation for helping keep this spectacular theater operating at full capacity."

In 2009, the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation granted the hall $500,000 to complete a mechanical engineering infrastructure study that became part of a 10-year plan for the continued restoration and renovation needs of the building.

"We are proud to continue the legacy of Allen Clowes himself and the entire Clowes family for their passion of the arts, their dreams, and their commitment to make Clowes Memorial Hall a reality," Butler President James M. Danko said. "We are reminded of their generosity every time we attend a performance or lecture in the venue."