History
    Juneau Arts & Humanities Council > Facilities & Rentals > History

How the Juneau Arts & Culture Center (JACC) came to be

  • The building itself was built in 1959-60 as a National Guard Armory until it was decommissioned in 2005.
  • In 2008, the City Assembly agreed to lease the building to the Juneau Arts & Humanities Council.
  • Over 200 volunteers set to work cleaning and painting the building. The men’s showers were converted to a men’s and a women’s restroom.
  • The facility opened in October as a space devoted to the arts community and to augment the services offered by Centennial Hall. The JACC continues to enjoy active support from the community, and has developed into a true community center.
  • The Lobby Shop is the result of a generous donation of display cases from Raven’s Journey after closing their doors in 2009, allowing us to provide local artists and artisans with an outlet for their wares.
  • The facility was painted as a gift to the community by a local painting company, Herr’s Painting.

photo credit: Juneau-Buildings-28 Alaska State Library Photo Collection

Other interesting facts

  • The mural paintings on the walls in the Main Hall were done in 1971 by an artist, Ivan James
  • The floor is 4-inch end cut maple
  • The capacity is 299
  • Re-roofed in 2010, and electrical upgrades happened in 2011
  • Gallery – Local and regional artists are selected to exhibit for one month – we have First Friday openings every month

Supporting Businesses

 

This work is supported in part by a grant from the Alaska Humanities Forum and the National Endowment for the Humanities, a federal agency. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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