Butler Arts & Events Center
The Butler Arts & Events Center (BAEC) is home to Butler University’s event facilities including performance venues, conference and meeting rooms, outdoor spaces and housing. Its performance venues welcome more than 200,000 visitors annually, with 30,000 from the student matinee series. The BAEC is comprised of five venues including its flagship 2100 seat venue Clowes Memorial Hall; the Schrott Center for the Arts with 475 seats; Shelton Auditorium with nearly 400 seats; Eidson-Duckwall Recital Hall with 135 seats and Lilly Hall Studio Theatre. Programming includes the Butler Arts Presents series, BAEC’s Education Matinee Series, Jordan College of the Arts performances, Broadway In Indianapolis shows, various Butler lecture series, performances from local performing arts organizations and a variety of national touring shows.
About Student Education Matinees
Since 1991, the BAEC has presented curriculum-based, culturally diverse, fully accessible, and age appropriate performances and programs to all-aged audiences. Live performances and programs enrich audiences with a variety of learning styles and approaches, exposing and introducing students to specific art forms (dance, music, theatre, visual arts, and media). At the BAEC, our commitment is to providing a positive artistic experience through live performance, ultimately educating while entertaining.
Teachers share how their students continue to talk about attending a live matinee performance, months or even years after visiting. More than ONE MILLION students, teachers and guests have attended matinee performances at the BAEC.
Why is this important?
Arts education in any form has many positive effects on a child’s development. Research has found an arts education can enhance several areas including social and cultural knowledge, creativity and thinking skills, communication and expressive skills and personal and social development. Attending a live performance is more than visiting a theatre to see a show. It is an experience that allows children to develop new ways of thinking about their lives and the world around them. Plus it will create a lifetime love for the arts which is key to building a vibrant and diverse community.
How can you help?
While ticket prices to student matiness are kept at the reasonable rate, not all students can afford to attend a show. With a gift to the BAEC will go to granting tickets to deserving students throughout the region so they too can enjoy the experience of live theatre. Your gift will have an immediate impact by giving students the experience in seeing a live performance right here on campus. See below for how your gifts will help:
- A gift of $100 will provide 5 students with tickets
- A gift of $500 will support an entire classroom
- A gift of $1,000 will support an entire school
Make your gift today and help us to continue giving more kids the chance to see a performance and building a culture of art appreciation throughout Central Indiana. Give the magic you experienced and start changing lives...one child at a time!
