Our Story
Mission Statement
The Chippewa Valley Cultural Association, Inc. (CVCA) is a catalyst for artistic expression and education to enrich the Chippewa Valley and beyond.
Diversity and Inclusion Policy
Adopted by the Board of Directors on 07.13.2021
The Mission Statement of the Chippewa Valley Cultural Association, Inc. (CVCA), dba Heyde Center for the Arts, is to be a catalyst for artistic expression and education to enrich the Chippewa Valley and beyond. In pursuit of our mission, we acknowledge, honor and value the dignity and contributions of all.
CVCA pledges to create and actively support an environment that respects and celebrates the diverse traditions, heritages, and experiences of everyone. In addition, we strive to provide all community members with an artistic space to discuss, understand, and address divergent opinions and ideas.
We define "diversity" to mean embracing differences in age, culture, ethnicity, immigration status, learning style, nationality, occupation, physical ability, race, religion, sex (including gender identity, pregnancy, and sexual orientation) and socio-economic status.
History
The Association was formed in 1976 to accomplish two main goals:
- Save the old McDonell Memorial High School building from destruction, and
- Restore it as venue for local artists, performers, writers and creative producers to explore, grow and share their talents with others in the region and beyond.
Additionally, the CVCA brings in gifted individuals and groups from outside the region with the vision of exposing Chippewa Valley residents to the talents of people from all over the world.
The Heyde Center for the Arts is the name of the historic building that was saved and restored to its present glory. The McDonell Memorial High School building was constructed in 1907 by a benevolent lumberman named Alexander McDonell in memory of his wife and children.
The building was closed in 1964 when a new Catholic high school was built on the other side of town. For years after it was closed, the building was vandalized and allowed to deteriorate. Most of the windows were broken. Rain and snow caused the wood floors to buckle. The plaster on the walls peeled. Flocks of pigeons took up residence.
The dream languished for two decades, but a group of committed citizens refused to give up. The CVCA issued a call to area residents, inviting them to reclaim the building.
Building Hours: Mon – Thur 10 am to 5 pm and Fri 10 am to 4 pm
The Heyde Center Today
Floors were swept, pigeons sent flying, and temporary electrical service established. Excitement for the project grew and eventually more than $2 million was gathered and skilled and unskilled laborers provided hundreds of thousands of hours of volunteer labor.
The CVCA largely accomplished its first main goal when it opened the doors of the Heyde Center for the Arts to the public in 2000.
Since then, the CVCA has made significant progress in achieving its second goal. In 2006, the CVCA/Heyde Center received the Governor’s Award for Supporting the Arts in the “community organization” category.
Each year approximately 20,000 people visit the Center’s performances, exhibits, and special events.
A volunteer board and three full-time staff members manage the facility, and the Association has more than 200 members.
CVCA/Heyde Center for the Arts Ticket Policies
The Heyde Center for the Arts cannot sustain itself solely through the income generated from tickets sales alone. A healthy arts institution can cover approximately 40 percent of its basic operating costs through ticket sales, but the other 60 percent must be raised through a variety of means – individual donations, foundations and government grants, merchandise sales, and rental of the facility.
The Chippewa Valley Cultural Association (CVCA) strives to support local artists and performers as well as bring in quality programs from outside the region. However, the CVCA tries to ticket prices reasonable in order to ensure residents of the Chippewa Valley can actively and frequently enjoy the programming available. The following defines some of the ticketing policies currently in effect for the Heyde Center.
Group ticketing
With selected CVCA events, a discount will be given to individuals or groups purchasing tickets in advance. Patrons purchasing 10 to 19 tickets in advance will receive a 10 percent discount. All the tickets must be purchased at the same time. Patrons purchasing 20 or more tickets in advance will receive a 15 percent discount. Group ticketing is based on ticket availability and some events will not be included.
Persons needing special arrangements
Patrons with special needs should notify the office in advance so that the Heyde Center can ensure their needs are met. Arrangements can be made for persons with disabilities (special seating, hearing devices, etc.) including a free ticket to assistants/caretakers accompanying the person with special needs.
Youth ticketing
The requirement for student tickets is that the student must be between the ages of five to eighteen years old at the time of purchase.
Child ticketing
Unless otherwise stated, children under five are admitted free unless the performance is sold out. In the case of a sold-out show, a child without a ticket will have to sit on an adult’s lap.
Family ticketing
Some CVCA events have a special “family package” ticket that allows a family of four (combination of four people that consider themselves immediate family such as parents, children, grandchildren, grandparents, foster children, siblings, aunts/uncles, etc.). The intent is that the family package will encourage more students/youth attendance as well as more inter-generational opportunities for “families.”
Senior ticketing
The requirement for senior tickets is that the person must be 62 years or older at the time of purchase.
Cancellations
Should a program be cancelled, ticket refunds or exchanges will be given. The ticketholder can choose to donate the money from the ticket sale to the Heyde Center.
Refunds/Exchanges
Ticket sales are exchangeable or possibly refundable if returned at least 24 hours before the performance. Tickets purchased but not used are not refundable.
February 21, 2023
CVCA/Heyde Center Art Class Policies
As a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, the Heyde Center for the Arts works hard to offer arts classes that are interesting, diverse and affordable to a wide variety of residents. In addition, the instructors prepare materials and schedule their time around these class offerings. It is important to note that other students in the class organize their schedule around taking the class as well.
In order to make the class feasible, the instructor sets a minimum and maximum number of students for each class. Until this minimum number of students is met, class registrations can be refunded in full without a penalty.
Once the minimum number of students is met, the class is confirmed on the calendar for the other students, the instructor, and at the Heyde Center. Given this commitment of time and resources by office staff, instructors, and other students to holding the class, once the class minimum number is met the Heyde Center for the Arts does not refund registration fees outside of the following exceptions:
• Due to reasons beyond the control of the Heyde Center (e.g., weather, illness of the instructor, unforeseen closure of the building, etc.), the class is canceled. All students will receive a full refund for their registration.
• The student requesting the refund has a compelling reason why they need to cancel their registration, e.g., illness, emergency, etc.
• Another person registers to ensure the class does not fall below the minimum number of students and the request for cancelation is at least 48 hours before a scheduled class.
Once the maximum number of students is met, the class is considered sold out. Once a class is sold out, it is difficult to re-market the class to fill one spot; therefore, the Heyde Center does not offer refunds outside of the following exceptions:
If a class is sold out, we highly recommend students ask to be placed on a waitlist if they are interested in taking a class. The Heyde Center will call waitlisted students in chronological order when/if a spot becomes available.
If more than the minimum number of students is met (i.e., the registration cancelation does not result in the class falling below the minimum number of students), but the class is not yet sold out, the Heyde Center for the Arts requests that students cancel at least one week before a scheduled class to receive a full refund. Cancelations made less than a week before the class will be charged a 20% cancelation fee. No refunds or credits are available for cancellations made within 24 hours of the class date/time, no-shows or withdrawals after a class begins.
Please understand that money has been spent scheduling, preparing, promoting/marketing, and organizing these art classes.
February 21, 2023