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Jacksonville Main Street has endorsed the Jacksonville Center for the Arts project! Chartered in 1998, Jacksonville Main Street officially started its work in 1999, as a non-for-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing downtown Jacksonville. Virtually everyone in the area is a stake holder in the success of downtown, therefore, understanding that the vitality of downtown Jacksonville is a direct benefit to all citizens and businesses of Jacksonville and the surrounding region, we are the only charitable organization that reinvests all of its profits back into the downtown. Main Street's letter from Nov 18, 2025 states: ______ "On behalf of the Jacksonville Main Street Board of Trustees, I am pleased to offer enthusiastic support for the Jacksonville Center for the Arts development downtown. A public performing arts venue would most definitely align with Jacksonville Main Street's mission to enhance the quality of life, cultivate historic integrity, and help businesses thrive through partnerships and programming in downtown Jacksonville. Our historic central business district provides an atmosphere that is ripe for arts and entertainment, offerings that this development would provide for the community. Rehabilitating an older building for new uses and creating an attraction with multiple uses are both things that Jacksonville Main Street wholeheartedly endorses. A civic center and performing arts venue would contribute greatly to our overall goals of increasing foot traffic, creating more employment opportunities, and encouraging entrepreneurial growth in the historic central business district. Jacksonville Main Street is happy to provide support, guidance, and access to resources that may help the Jacksonville Center for the Arts navigate the process of building renovation. We urge you to remain in regular contact with us throughout your fundraising and acquisition work. Respectfully submitted, John Rohn, Board of Trustees President" ______ The JCA board is grateful for the support of our project. You can see their letter of support in the attached PDF.  The Jacksonville Center for the Arts (JCA) is proud to announce a transformative $1 million pledge from Catherine Horn Randall in support of the Illinois Theater Civic and Preforming Arts Center project. This generous gift marks a major milestone in JCA’s campaign to repurpose, restore, and revitalize the iconic Illinois Theater into a multi-purpose civic center and performing arts facility.
Randall shared that her pledge is deeply personal. “I am making this pledge in memory and honor of my late beloved husband Bob,” Randall said. “He believed wholeheartedly that a multi-purpose civic center with a performing arts facility at the Illinois Theater venue would transform the square into a cultural and economic hub for the community. Bob recognized the need for a civic center that will enhance amenities and encourage more people to call Jacksonville home.” Randall emphasized that her gift is also a call to action. “I am making this pledge to challenge others to join me in supporting the JCA civic center project fundraising efforts by making a pledge. Our community has a unique opportunity to enhance the amenities we offer through the civic center. With the renaissance underway in the downtown, the wide variety of programs offered at the center will create an urban-like feel in a small city environment.” As a member of the JCA Board of Directors, Randall underscored her confidence in the project’s long-term impact. “I believe in the benefits of this project. I look at my pledge as an investment in the future growth and prosperity of Jacksonville.” The planned Illinois Theater Civic and Performing Arts Center is envisioned as a highly flexible venue designed to meet diverse needs. Community leaders have identified strong demand for adaptable spaces that can accommodate theatrical productions, concerts, conferences, meetings, social events, lectures, seminars, and business workshops or training sessions. The center is also positioned to become a prime destination for classic film festivals, premieres of films produced in Illinois, gaming and sporting events, and the live streaming of major cultural programs. Together, these potential uses underscore the center’s role as a dynamic cultural and economic catalyst for the region. JCA seeks to raise $8.8 million to repurpose and restore the Illinois Theater into a vibrant civic center and performing arts venue. The organization’s exclusive option to purchase the building has been extended through February 16, 2026, providing additional time to secure pledges from donors and supporters. Community members are encouraged to learn more and consider making a pledge by visiting jacksonvilleartscenter.com. Contact JCA board members: Larry Kuster, Gary Mather, Drew Snodgrass, Mary Fergurson, Cathy Randall, Rich Basden, Gene Fergurson, Katie McDannald, and Pam Martin. You may also email [email protected] for details. Jacksonville Main Street has officially endorsed the Jacksonville Center for the Arts’ bold plan to transform the historic Illinois Theater into a vibrant civic center and performing arts venue!
“The heart of our historic square is made for arts and entertainment,” says JMS President John Rohn — and we couldn’t agree more. Restoring this iconic building means more foot traffic, more jobs, more creativity, and more life downtown. JCA is working to raise $8.8 million to reimagine the Illinois Theater as a civic and performing arts center, with an extended purchase option through Feb. 16, 2026. Jacksonville Main Street is proud to support this effort every step of the way. Let’s rally together and make this transformation happen! The Jacksonville Center for the Arts (JCA) is thrilled to announce a wave of positive community support as it advances toward its ambitious goal of raising $8.8 million to repurpose, restore and revitalize the iconic Illinois Theater. In a show of confidence and commitment, the JCA Board of Directors has voted to extend its exclusive option to purchase the building through February 16, 2026, allowing additional time to secure pledges from donors and supporters.
“This project is more than bricks and mortar—it’s about building a future,” said Mary Fergurson, JCA Board Treasurer. “The Illinois Theater is a jewel in the crown of the Square, and our vision is to transform it into a vibrant civic center that brings people together through arts, education and shared experiences.” The proposed transformation will convert the historic movie theater into a state-of-the-art multipurpose venue with live-streaming capabilities, flexible event space, and programming that reflects the diverse needs of the Jacksonville community. The JCA’s decision to restore rather than build new was guided by extensive community engagement, surveys, and a financial sustainability analysis that confirmed strong local support and long-term viability. The revitalized Illinois Theater will serve as a hub for performing arts, civic events, and educational programming. The project is expected to boost local economic development and enhance Jacksonville’s appeal as a destination for visitors and a home for businesses. The extended purchase option reflects growing enthusiasm and gives donors more time to contribute to this transformative effort. JCA has already begun outreach to past and prospective donors, laying the foundation for a robust community campaign. The organization is energized by the feedback and pledges received so far and remains confident in reaching its fundraising milestone. More information about the Illinois Theater project and ways to support it can be found on this website, or by contacting board members Larry Kuster, Gary Mather, Drew Snodgrass, Mary Fergurson, Cathy Randall, Rich Basden, Gene Fergurson, Katie McDannald and Pam Martin. You can also email JCA at [email protected].  In furtherance of its quest to create a multipurpose civic center with performing arts capabilities, the Jacksonville Center for the Arts Board has recently signed an exclusive option to purchase the historic Illinois Theater from owners Mark and Emily Hughes.
“The Illinois Theater is iconic. It is historic. It is a jewel in the crown of the Square,” said Larry Kuster, JCA board president. “The JCA vision, besides restoring the building, is about creating and sustaining a hub to help fill an identified amenities gap in our community. The vision is to attract people to come here not only for entertainment, but to see our community as a great place to live and work. The vision is to build a state-of-the-art civic center with live streaming capability to bring events from around the world to our doorstep.” Due to a short timetable for action under the agreement’s terms, JCA has begun sharing information about the project with past and prospective donors, and is laying the groundwork for a community campaign. The goal is to raise $8.8 million – the estimated cost of the transformation from movie theater to a multifunctional facility that supports arts, education, special events and more – by mid-November 2025. The JCA board, having recently completed a use and financial sustainability analysis, has taken the path of restoration and repurposing a well-known venue rather than pursuing new construction based upon feedback received during community engagement sessions. The in-depth study, supplemented by surveys and extensive interviews with potential users, indicates that the community can sustain a civic center. Further, it shows that such a project will support the local economy, building upon the ongoing community renaissance, and strengthen Jacksonville’s appeal as both a destination for visitors and an attractive home for businesses and their employees, according to the JCA Board. More information about this transformative project can be found on the JCA’s website jacksonvilleartscenter.com, by contacting board members Larry Kuster, Gary Mather, Drew Snodgrass, Mary Fergurson, Cathy Randall, Rich Basden, Gene Fergurson, Katie McDannald, and Pam Martin, or by emailing JCA at [email protected]. The Jacksonville Center for the Arts Board, whose mission is to create a multi-purpose civic center with performing arts facilities serving as a community hub and economic engine, has elected two new directors: Katie McDannald, student and community engagement coordinator at Lincoln Land Community College, and Pam Martin, recently retired director of the Jacksonville Memorial Hospital Foundation. Current Board member Gary Mather was elected vice president.
An alumna of Ken Bradbury musical productions during her school years, McDannald also serves as play director at Triopia Junior-Senior High. She also serves on the Jacksonville Promise Foundation Board, the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce Membership Committee, and Green Pastures Christian Campground Board. In addition, she organizes and runs the Concord Fish Fry every summer. When she’s not working, directing, or volunteering, McDannald likes to bake and practice yoga. During weekends in June, she serves as counselor at Green Pastures’ Christian Performing Arts Camp. This year marked her 27th season. McDannald lives in South Jacksonville with three cats and a coonhound, who will welcome her daughter this fall. As JMH Foundation director, Martin was instrumental in cultivating lasting donor relationships and guiding philanthropic resources to address emerging healthcare needs across the hospital’s five-county service area. Her volunteer leadership has extended to several organizations including the Kiwanis Club of Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce Ag Division, JREDC, Jacksonville Country Club, and Illinois College’s David A. Smith House. With a nod to her dairy-farming heritage, she is an annual competitor in the Illinois State Fair’s mini butter cow contest, which she has won in three of the past five years. Martin and her husband Gary proudly continue the legacy of their fifth-generation family farm. Mather, whose retail management career has spanned four decades, has assumed the vice presidency of the JCA Board. Recently retired as manager of The Home Depot, Mather now serves as lead estimator for Sutton’s in Springfield. In addition to his work with JCA, Mather has served on the boards for Brooklyn United Methodist Church, TRE Limited, and the Fulton, MO, Chamber of Commerce. He has also served on various committees for MacMurray College, the Salvation Army, and other volunteer organizations. Mather and his wife Sharon, both Jacksonville natives, are parents of three sons and grandparents of eleven. Mather is looking forward to fulfilling his leadership role with JCA as it moves ahead with its plan to realize a premier center for the arts. McDannald, Martin and Mather join President Larry Kuster, Secretary Drew Snodgrass, Treasurer Mary Fergurson, and directors Richard Basden, Gene Fergurson, and Cathy Randall on the JCA Board, and bring their extensive skills to bear in the JCA’s effort to bring its exciting effort to fruition. President Kuster said, “JCA enthusiastically welcomes Katie and Pam and deeply appreciates Gary’s leadership role on a board dedicated to making a civic center a reality for our community.” The JCA’s new impetus comes as the result of an extensive utilization and support analysis and a timely opportunity to create a multifunctional center capitalizing upon a resurgent downtown. CASSCOMM Sales Representative Joe Kaufman presented to JCA Board members Richard Basden and Mary Fergurson a check for $5,000.00 in support of the JCA.
 The Jacksonville Center for the Arts purchased two grand pianos, a Baldwin Grand L Piano and a Steinway D Concert Grand Piano, from MacMurray College shortly after its closure in 2020. These Grand Pianos were part of the rich musical tradition at MacMurray and delighted Jacksonville audiences during countless performances over the years. By purchasing the Pianos, JCA has preserved them for the Jacksonville community and will become located in the Civic Center once constructed. In the meantime, these Grand Pianos are on loan to two Jacksonville churches, Centenary Methodist and Our Saviour.
The Baldwin Grand graces the Sanctuary at Our Saviour Catholic Church. Countless parishioners and visitors have marveled at the Baldwin Grand's beautiful sound, according to Our Saviour's Pastor Reverend Joe Ring. The Baldwin is an integral part of Our Saviour's weekly Masses and other services like weddings and funerals throughout the year. The Piano is used to accompany the youth, adult and contemporary choirs, as well as the bell choir and solo instruments. The Baldwin Grand is a testament to the high level of music at the former MacMurray College. Father Ring says it is a privilege to share this legacy with the Jacksonville community. The Steinway Grand Piano has a distinguished history. Internationally acclaimed pianist Van Cliburn assisted MacMurray College when it purchased the Steinway in the 1960s. The Piano bears Van Cliburn's personal signature which is special for Terri Benz who is the Director of Music for Centenary Methodist Church and who played the Piano when she was a MacMurray College student and later as a faculty member. Terri recalls giving lessons to students on the piano as well as wonderful performances in which the Steinway had a central musical role. The Steinway's temporary home is in Centenary's Sanctuary. Terri describes the Steinway as producing a powerful, expressive sound in both volume and rich sonorities. It loses nothing when played softly, but gains worlds of expression. The distinctive Steinway sounds enhances Centenary's weekly worship services, weddings, funerals, and other special events. During this pandemic time, the Piano has been played as part of virtual performances of the Jacksonville Symphony. |
