PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — A Presque Isle community landmark will be upgraded thanks to a $4 million boost from the federal government.
The University of Maine at Presque Isle will receive the funds for its ongoing renovation of the Gauvin Family Center for Cultural Arts in Wieden Hall.
The auditorium has served as an event and performance hub for the campus and wider community for more than 60 years. Past efforts have helped maintain Wieden Hall, but the aging building needs structural updates and modernizations. The federal funds are less than half of what’s needed overall, but with the money in hand, the campus can start to plan and raise funds for the project, officials said.
“These much-needed funds will allow us to complete a project nearly two decades in the making — the refurbishment of our auditorium in Wieden Hall,” said Ray Rice, campus president. “Since 1960, this space has served as a cultural and performing arts center, an academic training ground, and a public forum for the exchange of ideas, not just for our campus, but also the greater community.”
The federal money is part of a congressionally directed spending package approved by Congress and signed into law March 9 by the president. U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced the funding on March 8. It was one of several packages awarded in Aroostook County and throughout Maine.
The auditorium has been a performance space where university students and the greater Aroostook County community can enjoy educational, artistic and cultural events, Collins said in a statement.
“This funding will support necessary structural renovations to ensure the historic hall can be used for generations to come,” she added.
Wieden Hall was built in 1960 and named in honor of Clifford O.T. Wieden, who taught in local schools before becoming principal of the university’s predecessor, Aroostook State Teachers College, according to the campus’ website. Wieden was campus president from 1952 to 1969, and the school became the University of Maine at Presque Isle in 1970.
Time and use have taken their toll and the space has deteriorated, Rice said.
The original seats are still there, and the auditorium’s technology — including lighting and wiring — have been outdated for a long time, he said.
The Presque Isle funding is part of $40.8 million that will come to the University of Maine System, much of it for forestry, fishing and agriculture research.
“The beloved but antiquated performance space is a significant contributor to the arts and cultural offerings in the region, and a critical cornerstone central to the sustainability and growth of the UMPI campus, community and the County,” UMaine officials said in a statement.
Efforts to revitalize the Wieden Auditorium have been ongoing for more than a decade and have included a 2011 performance of “Almost, Maine” by Presque Isle native and playwright John Cariani.
Ray and Sandy Gauvin of Mapleton provided a major gift to the campus in 2014, and in honor of their contributions to the campus and community the auditorium was renamed The Gauvin Family Center for Cultural Arts in September 2022.
No renovation timeline exists yet because details are still being worked out, but Rice can’t wait to get started.
“Even with prior fundraising, this has proven to be an insurmountable challenge until now,” he said. “We are very much looking forward to welcoming everyone to the Gauvin Family Center for Cultural Arts once our renovations are completed.”
