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Photo courtesy,Michigan Architectural Foundation
Power Center auditorium. Photo courtesy, Amusements and Parks
Power Center: Honoring the Arts
Power Center: Honoring the Arts
By Megan Piagentini
Medicine isn’t the only implement that can heal. The National Library of Medicine explored the concept of how “engagement with creative activities has the potential to contribute toward reducing stress and depression and can serve as a vehicle for alleviating the burden of chronic disease." With the stress of being immersed in the United States' number one public university, all methods of relaxation and enlightenment should be available to students. The arts around campus deserve the same funding as science and public health facilities. Named after a family of U-M alumni, the Power Center for the Performing Arts created the ‘missing piece’ for performances throughout the year to celebrate and encourage the arts.
Creating a home for performances at the University of Michigan, the Power Center for the Performing Arts officially opened in 1971. The Hill Auditorium and Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre on central campus did not suffice for all show types as there was “no adequate proscenium-stage theater for the performing arts” (SMTD). The Hill Auditorium is too large with little advanced technology and the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre is too small for substantial performances. To take action, alumni Eugene Barnum Power and Sadye Harwick Power, along with their son, Philip, donated $1.3 million to the university. They knew the government would not support the arts financially so they took it into their own hands. As the happy medium of the two other spaces, the Power Center now holds many student gatherings, including freshman orientation along with “hosting sales meetings, product rollouts, and corporate presentations” (Arts & Culture).
Described by arts.umich.edu, the auditorium holds 1,300 seats with no chair more than 72 feet from the stage. The most striking feature is a window wall running the entire front of the building. Jerry M. Flint describes the window as a reflection of the park on the outside during the day; at night, it becomes a mirror for the people inside the theater and for those on the outside, a window for looking in. This keeps the performance within the space and allows for personal reflection when the show is over.
The Power family: Eugene Power (Left), Sadye Power (middle), and Philip Power (right). Photo courtesy, Ann Arbor District Library
Eugene Power was the "founder of the modern microfilm industry and a pioneer in the information revolution" ("Eugene Barnum Power"). He founded University Microfilms International, was a regent of the Univerity of Michigan and founded the Power Foundation, which gave scholarships to students. It is refreshing to see a building named after a family of alumni that wanted to better a section of the university that may get less recognition in comparison to the science and literature buildings.
Power is a fitting name for a building that is home to many powerful performances and events each year. The surname ‘Power’ originates from Ireland and derives from the word ‘pauper’, meaning ‘poor man’, according to Irish-genealogy-toolkit.com. Ironically, the meaning ‘poor man’ is the name of a family wealthy enough to afford to donate that much money. Additionally, the students that perform there have goals in artistic fields that won’t make as much money as many professions.
The Power Center continues to hold shows throughout the year and offers employment and volunteer opportunities for students. Flyers can be seen while walking to class on post boards and banners making it hard to miss the next upcoming show. With the upkeep of performance halls around campus, the arts will continue to flourish and be supported by the community while contributing to the well-being of students and the residents of Ann Arbor.
Works Cited
A Powerful Irish Surname: Power, https://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com/irish-surname-power.html#:~:text=crossing%20the%20Atlantic-,The%20Irish%20surname%20Power%20is%20of%20Norman%20(French)%20origin%2C,shop%20in%20Arklow%2C%20Co%20Wicklow.
Haefner, James. “Power Center for the Performing Arts.” Michigan Architectural Foundation, https://michiganarchitecturalfoundation.org/buildings/powers-performance-center/
Jerry M. Flint, Special to The New York Times. "Grass Harp' Opens Michigan Arts Center." New York Times (1923-), Oct 07, 1971, pp. 56. ProQuest, https://www.proquest.com/docview/119129475?pq-origsite=primo
“Mrs. Eugene B. Power: Ann Arbor District Library.” Mrs. Eugene B. Power | Ann Arbor District Library, 3 Feb. 1970, https://aadl.org/taxonomy/term/20612
“Power Center.” Arts & Culture, University of Michigan, https://arts.umich.edu/museums-cultural-attractions/power-center/
“Power Center: U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance.” University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, University of Michigan, https://smtd.umich.edu/about/facilities/power-center/
Power, Philip H. “Eugene Barnum Power (4 June 1905-6 December 1993).” Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, vol. 139, no. 3, 1995, pp. 301–04. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/987197#metadata_info_tab_contents
Stuckey, Heather L, and Jeremy Nobel. “The connection between art, healing, and public health: a review of current literature.” American journal of public health vol. 100,2 (2010): 254-63. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2008.156497,
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2804629/
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