Only a year after its construction, Presser Arts Center had outgrown its new building and conversations of another expansion began.

Landscaping for excavation between the main building and Richardson Hall began Monday following years of preparation.

Executive Director of Presser Arts Center Lois Brace said she has known there would be a need for further expansion since 2018.

“Over another year’s time, in 2019, it became evident that we were on top of each other with scheduling,” said Brace.

Brace said the constant scheduling conflicts and limited availability on the calendar have resulted in losing out on some opportunities to give to the community.

“It’s a need that is meeting the community where they’re at,” she said. “It’s not our dream – it’s a necessity."

Presser Arts Center offers event space, community theater and a multitude of classes ranging from ceramics to culinary arts in addition to their partnerships with Missouri Military Academy and Audrain Developmental Disabilities Services.

“To accommodate the community, we had to think about the future and another build,” said Brace.

The impact of the arts

Around 2018, Presser conducted a study with the Mexico Public Schools District to assess the impact of the arts on graduation rates.

“The participants we had in summer camps and tracking them through the years since they were in third grade, which is when they typically got involved, they all graduated high school,” said Brace.

She added that the positive results from the study made a good impact analysis for grant writing.

“I think the kids and the families who engage in the arts are not your couch potatoes,” said Brace. “They are more involved in their community and they seem to be happier.”

Throughout her time, Brace said she had seen many children who are going through trauma with their families come through Presser’s doors.

“We’re probably the most stable thing in their lives that they can count on,” she said. “We’re always going to be here – we are not going to cancel.”

Presser has implemented safeguards including a behavior contract to outline expectations and ensure the safety of all participants regardless of age.

“I think they really find security in that and peace of mind knowing what they can count on when they come through our doors,” said Brace.

The opportunities at Presser have also played a key role in getting Mexico recognized by the Missouri Arts Council as a creative community.

“Around the 2010s, the Midwest was being ridiculed as the flyover states and the cultural desert of America, and they can’t say that anymore,” said Brace.

Out with the old, in with the new

The recent approval of the demolition of Hardin Gym left some in the community wondering why the space wasn’t being repurposed instead.

In 2009, before Presser came to own the nine-acre block where Hardin Gym is located, Brace said they were looking at ways to repurpose the space. In fact, they were looking at Hardin Gym as an alternate space before the original addition was constructed.

“We were always trying to repurpose Hardin Gym – we were always trying to look at how we could repurpose Richardson Hall,” said Brace.

After buying the land in 2012, Presser looked at both buildings more seriously, calling architects and builders and asking for their advice on how to preserve the existing structures.

“It’s just cost prohibitive,” said Brace. “There is so much damage that has occurred to Hardin that we couldn’t afford to keep it.”

The state of Hardin Gym is abysmal. There is no salvageable flooring and shingles have been falling onto land they don’t own – one can see daylight through the roof.

“Our donors typically are in favor of a new building because it means growth and prosperity, but when you are taking something down and demolishing it, they don’t like that, so we have had to pursue other avenues of funding,” said Brace.

Presser Arts Center is a production house, which means they do not hire acts to come in. Everything from set design to props and costumes are made in-house which, at the moment, means on-stage during rehearsal.

But the new building will include a maker space and scene shop where they can create. It will also serve as storage and a bigger space to host workshops and seminars about specialty art including ceramics.

The current ceramics workshops are sharing space with the music room and summer camps.

“We are constantly having to flip that room out and it’s a lot of manpower,” said Brace.

The other part of the building will be a multifunctional classroom and dedicated rehearsal space for the choir that includes a fully equipped kitchen for culinary arts.

“It would also accommodate a screening room for our film program that’s very small right now, but we have dreams of it growing,” said Brace.

Next steps

The contractor for this project was confirmed in 2022. Meanwhile, Presser was securing funds through fundraising, grants and donors.

“We have had great success with the neighborhood assistance program tax credits and that has really helped boost donations,” said Brace. “Our donor base is very loyal.”

The new building will be situated in between the main Presser building and Richardson Hall and the front door will face the south parking lot.

Presser will continue to operate as normal for as long as it can but there are concerns about the HVAC system and keeping the main stage auditorium cool during the summer, but Brace said they are prepared.

“We’re just becoming more and more flexible for the summer,” she said.

Construction is expected to be complete Dec. 31, weather permitting, of course.

“As we learned with our other build, most recently, add about three more months to that before we can move in,” said Brace.