After 14 years and hundreds of performances, the MasterWorks Festival is leaving Winona Lake.
On July 21, MasterWorks Director Dr. Patrick Kavanaugh was informed by Grace College officials that the Rodeheaver Auditorium would not be available to the festival next summer. The college is working with a company that will soon be redesigning Rodeheaver for other uses. The needs of a new Worship Arts program at Grace College also will necessitate the vacating of the MasterWorks Festival offices later this year, according to a press release from Kavanaugh and Grace College. “I had no idea during the Festival this summer of Grace College’s plans until last Tuesday when I was notified,” Kavanaugh said in a telephone interview Monday afternoon. “No idea whatsoever.”
In an email Monday evening, Dr. Bill Katip, president of Grace College, said, “We are within a few days of finalizing the lease, but I am not able to identify the person/company until it’s all signed. The refurbished Rodeheaver Auditorium will be used as a banquet hall for banquets, wedding receptions and other community events. As part of the arrangement, Grace will retain use of Rodeheaver for its concerts and musicals and as a venue for joint college/community cultural events. Grace has recently signed an agreement with the Wagon Wheel Theatre/Symphony of the Lakes whereby Rodeheaver will continue to be the home for the symphony and it will also continue to be the home for the Grace College Community Wind Ensemble led by Martin Becker.”
Katip continued, “As the discussions with the business group were advancing, it unfortunately became obvious that the Rodeheaver Auditorium would no longer be available for use by the MasterWorks Festival since the festival basically tied up the entire facility for a month of prime time for weddings, etc.”
The release states the leadership of the MasterWorks Festival “wishes to fervently thank Grace College for their tremendous support over the past 14 years. We have worked well together, and we love each other very much. Whether here or from afar, we will always remain dear friends and co-workers in Christ.”
The press release states MasterWorks is looking at a number of Christian colleges so that the ministry of the festival will continue, even if at a different location.
Kavanaugh said MasterWorks needs “a lot” to move to another college in terms of dorms, office space, concert halls, theater space and more. On a good note, he said, since MasterWorks is the largest organization that does what they do, some colleges have already contacted him and invited the program to come to them.
“The hard part is not in finding another college, but another community like (Winona Lake),” he said.
The town has been supportive of the Festival since day one. “We just had a ball. I hate to leave,” he said, but understands the situation Grace College is in.
Kavanaugh praised the relationship the Festival has had with Grace College and said Katip has been like a mentor to him in terms of leadership.
“When things happen, you just have to go with it,” he said. He then quoted a line from Dr. Seuss, “Don’t cry because it has to end, smile because it got to happen.”
The last 14 years in Winona Lake have been great, he said, and the Festival will dearly miss the people around here.
Just because the Festival has to move doesn’t necessarily mean Patrick and Barb Kavanaugh will move, he said. During the first years of the Festival in Winona Lake, MasterWorks was still headquartered in northern Virginia.
As for job loss with the Festival having to move, Kavanaugh declined to go into numbers of how many employees may be affected, but said, “sadly, that’s the case.” The hundreds of employees of the summer festival will go wherever it moves, but the office staff will have to make adjustments, he said.
Kavanaugh said MasterWorks is working hard so there will be a Festival somewhere next summer. He said he talked to three college presidents Monday, but couldn’t reveal which ones those were at this point.
He said they are going to have to work on notifiying the MasterWorks students, staff and donors this week.
“I just want people to know we’ve loved every minute of being here,” Kavanaugh said.
In a press release Thursday, Grace College announced music would return to the school with the new worship arts degree, set to launch in fall 2016. Housed in the newly expanded Visual, Performing and Media Arts Department and funded through the Dr. Dane and Mary Louise Miller Music Endowment at Grace College, the bachelor’s degree major in worship arts aims to graduate students fully prepared for church worship ministry, according to that release.
In his email yesterday, Katip said, “Once we realized that the Worship Arts program would require a new faculty member, we knew it would be nearly impossible to continue to donate to MasterWorks the proceeds from our Dr. Dane and Mary Louise Miller Music Endowment (approximately $75,000 per year). However, we thoroughly examined ways to accommodate both (we even investigated the possibility of renting a very large tent for the month of MasterWorks), but finally (and reluctantly) we concluded that Grace could not support MasterWorks Festival as we have in the past.
“We deeply care about our community and want to do all we can to support the local cultural opportunities,” Katip continued. “At the same time, we are making these changes to best serve the needs of Grace College and our students. We expect our new major to bring in five to 10 new students per year. This translates into new revenues and greater opportunities to fulfill our mission to students who would not otherwise attend Grace College.”
Asked how long Grace has been looking at the changes to MasterWorks, the Worship Arts program and Rodeheaver, Katip responded, “The plans for the new Worship Arts program have been in the works for over a year. It was not until the last few months, however, that we finalized the budget and space needs. The proposal from the local business group regarding Rodeheaver has been in the works for about nine months.
“Over the course of the past several months I have discussed this with all Warsaw/Winona Lake trustees as well as our executive committee and had their endorsement of the plan. In addition, I sought out counsel and had support from local leaders.
“Finally, in a statement to the MasterWorks board, I expressed my deep appreciation for the cultural richness and ministry MasterWorks has brought to Winona Lake and to the Grace College community. And, recognizing the stress this creates for the MasterWorks program, I pledged my personal prayer, support and encouragement through the upcoming transitions. As an amateur musician myself, and as a strong supporter of music, I find it personally painful to contemplate MasterWorks leaving our community. They are deeply loved by many in this community, and we are so appreciative of what they have meant to the cultural and spiritual life of Winona Lake/Warsaw,” Katip said.
Katip continued, “As the discussions with the business group were advancing, it unfortunately became obvious that the Rodeheaver Auditorium would no longer be available for use by the MasterWorks Festival since the festival basically tied up the entire facility for a month of prime time for weddings, etc.”
The release states the leadership of the MasterWorks Festival “wishes to fervently thank Grace College for their tremendous support over the past 14 years. We have worked well together, and we love each other very much. Whether here or from afar, we will always remain dear friends and co-workers in Christ.”
The press release states MasterWorks is looking at a number of Christian colleges so that the ministry of the festival will continue, even if at a different location.
Kavanaugh said MasterWorks needs “a lot” to move to another college in terms of dorms, office space, concert halls, theater space and more. On a good note, he said, since MasterWorks is the largest organization that does what they do, some colleges have already contacted him and invited the program to come to them.
“The hard part is not in finding another college, but another community like (Winona Lake),” he said.
The town has been supportive of the Festival since day one. “We just had a ball. I hate to leave,” he said, but understands the situation Grace College is in.
Kavanaugh praised the relationship the Festival has had with Grace College and said Katip has been like a mentor to him in terms of leadership.
“When things happen, you just have to go with it,” he said. He then quoted a line from Dr. Seuss, “Don’t cry because it has to end, smile because it got to happen.”
The last 14 years in Winona Lake have been great, he said, and the Festival will dearly miss the people around here.
Just because the Festival has to move doesn’t necessarily mean Patrick and Barb Kavanaugh will move, he said. During the first years of the Festival in Winona Lake, MasterWorks was still headquartered in northern Virginia.
As for job loss with the Festival having to move, Kavanaugh declined to go into numbers of how many employees may be affected, but said, “sadly, that’s the case.” The hundreds of employees of the summer festival will go wherever it moves, but the office staff will have to make adjustments, he said.
Kavanaugh said MasterWorks is working hard so there will be a Festival somewhere next summer. He said he talked to three college presidents Monday, but couldn’t reveal which ones those were at this point.
He said they are going to have to work on notifiying the MasterWorks students, staff and donors this week.
“I just want people to know we’ve loved every minute of being here,” Kavanaugh said.
In a press release Thursday, Grace College announced music would return to the school with the new worship arts degree, set to launch in fall 2016. Housed in the newly expanded Visual, Performing and Media Arts Department and funded through the Dr. Dane and Mary Louise Miller Music Endowment at Grace College, the bachelor’s degree major in worship arts aims to graduate students fully prepared for church worship ministry, according to that release.
In his email yesterday, Katip said, “Once we realized that the Worship Arts program would require a new faculty member, we knew it would be nearly impossible to continue to donate to MasterWorks the proceeds from our Dr. Dane and Mary Louise Miller Music Endowment (approximately $75,000 per year). However, we thoroughly examined ways to accommodate both (we even investigated the possibility of renting a very large tent for the month of MasterWorks), but finally (and reluctantly) we concluded that Grace could not support MasterWorks Festival as we have in the past.
“We deeply care about our community and want to do all we can to support the local cultural opportunities,” Katip continued. “At the same time, we are making these changes to best serve the needs of Grace College and our students. We expect our new major to bring in five to 10 new students per year. This translates into new revenues and greater opportunities to fulfill our mission to students who would not otherwise attend Grace College.”
Asked how long Grace has been looking at the changes to MasterWorks, the Worship Arts program and Rodeheaver, Katip responded, “The plans for the new Worship Arts program have been in the works for over a year. It was not until the last few months, however, that we finalized the budget and space needs. The proposal from the local business group regarding Rodeheaver has been in the works for about nine months.
“Over the course of the past several months I have discussed this with all Warsaw/Winona Lake trustees as well as our executive committee and had their endorsement of the plan. In addition, I sought out counsel and had support from local leaders.
“Finally, in a statement to the MasterWorks board, I expressed my deep appreciation for the cultural richness and ministry MasterWorks has brought to Winona Lake and to the Grace College community. And, recognizing the stress this creates for the MasterWorks program, I pledged my personal prayer, support and encouragement through the upcoming transitions. As an amateur musician myself, and as a strong supporter of music, I find it personally painful to contemplate MasterWorks leaving our community. They are deeply loved by many in this community, and we are so appreciative of what they have meant to the cultural and spiritual life of Winona Lake/Warsaw,” Katip said.
(Story By The Times Union)
