New Home for UCCS Visual and Performing Arts Center features Encore Electric Work

December 14, 2017 – Colorado Springs, CO — Encore Electric recently completed major work on the new Ent Center for the Arts in Colorado Springs. When it opens in January 2018, it will be the main facility for the University of Colorado – Colorado Springs Department of Visual and Performing Arts.

The new center features various performances spaces, labs, classrooms, office space and recording spaces and studios, including four theaters: a 774-seat theater and concert hall, a 245-seat recital hall, and two other theaters designed for smaller shows. Encore’s Technology Solutions group provided many of the technological innovations in the center.

“The VAPA center boosts the capabilities of the UCCS Fine Arts program in a big way. Few other Performing Arts facilities in the region combine so many different types of performance venues and arts education spaces under the same roof,” said Kevin Zolitor, Solution Architect at Encore Electric. “Each venue features cutting edge yet classic design and a wealth of the latest technical equipment and systems, and incorporating them invisibly into such a beautiful space was a monumental challenge. We could not have achieved such a success without the outstanding performances of our technical subcontractors Barbizon Light of the Rockies and Pro Audio Designs of Milwaukee.”

The Shockley Zalabak theater is the main performance space, and has many features that relied on the expertise of Encore Electric employees, including variable acoustic banners for the tuning of the space for each individual performance type, motorized line sets, a motorized stage extension for flexibility of stage shape and depth, state-of-the-art lighting and acoustic systems as well as much more.

“There was lot of heavy lifting for our team that happened behind the scenes in the coordination of the systems for the multiple venues and I am very proud of our guys and the quality of the product that we turned over to our client,” said JR Bond, Director of Southern Colorado for Encore Electric. “The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs has been a great client and it is very exciting seeing this project come to completion, not only the University to enjoy but the entire city.”

The Dusty Loo Bon Vivant Theater features connections to an advanced recording studio for the recording of live performances. The Recital Hall features an inductive loop assisted listening system within the concrete floor, an amazing technological tool that will help assist those hard of hearing to enjoy the music performed by the artists. Finally, the Marie Walsh Sharpe Gallery of Contemporary Arts is designed for traveling exhibitions. The facility will initially house the VAPA program, with Phase II integrating the Art History, Film Studies and Visual Arts programs as well.

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