Michael Kimbrough: His Vision and the Dream

He has harbored the dream of having a Pine Hills Community Performing Arts Center for over four years and tomorrow, Reverend Michael Kimbrough, along with the rest of the community will realize that vision.

The Performing Arts Center is set to open its doors on Friday, September 30, at 5600 West Colonial Drive, Suite 302, in Orlando.

But getting to this point has not been easy, as funding has always been an issue.

Rev. Kimbrough recalls that, back in 2007, performances used to take place at the Evans High School.  Last year, efforts were stepped up when five non-profit organizations came together to pool their skills and resources to help the underserved Pine Hills community. The founding non-profits of the Pine Hills Community Performing Arts Center are: Shine Performing & Creative Arts, Revelations Child Development, Breaking out the Wall Dance, Bridjers Youth Club and Purpose Driven Acts.

The group incorporated in March last year and signed a lease for the building a few months later.

“It has been a grass roots operation all the way,” Kimbrough declared. “We have had no major private funding, just the community buying into the vision, giving of their time and labor.”

The project now has over 125 partners and contributions have ranged from as little as $1 to in-kind support of $5,000. Kimbrough praised DEM Construction, a local area construction company that provided designs and labor, free of cost. Other partners include, Orange County government/Neighborhood Preservation & Revitalization Division, Orlando Health, APRI, Hosanna, C&S Electric, HZ, Hardees and Pine Hills Community Council.

With a six-figure price tag, the Pine Hills Community Performing Arts Center currently boasts 3,172 square feet of floor space with a capacity for over 260 people.  However, the vision does not stop there. Kimbrough has plans for turning the area into what he calls the Pine Hills Arts District with art studios, a heritage center, museum, arts education center, including a 500-seat performing arts hall.  But, the organization would need to first acquire an additional 15,000 square of adjoining property. This could happen by the end of 2012, with design work commencing in 2013.

But first things first.  Kimbrough says, he is just excited that the team has been able to get to this point.

“I am just elated and have great expectations that this Arts Center will play a major role in bringing about positive change within the community, as we celebrate the arts,” Kimbrough said. “Our mission is to transform lives in the community through the arts.”

Asked if there would be links between the Pine Hills Community Performing Arts Center and the new Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts (DPAC) now under construction downtown Orlando, Kimbrough replied in the affirmative.

“Our plans are to feed DPAC with playwriters, actors, dancers, musicions and more from our Arts Center, ” he said. There would be collaboration too, with the Orlando Ballet and the United Arts of Central Florida, he added.

The services of the Pine Hills Community Performing Arts Center will include: training in several art forms such as screenplay writing, vocals perfection, drama classes, television programming, stage production, dance and music.