The Music Center at Temple Beth Israel has a fresh new look, thanks to funding support from the Etowah County Community Development Committees for Alabama House Districts 29 and 30. Thanks to generous grants of $5,000 from each District, the EYO has removed all the old plexiglass coverings over the stained-glass windows on the exterior of the building and replaced them with new coverings. The plexiglass coverings serve to protect the windows in the building from both damage and discoloration due to age and weather. The project was completed by Nolen Glass Company in Gadsden.
“When the EYO first moved into The Music Center, we replaced the plexiglass coverings over the two windows over the front entrance of the building,” commented EYO Music Director Mike Gagliardo. “The difference was tremendous, and we immediately set a goal of having all of the coverings replaced. Thanks to the support of Representatives Becky Nordgren and Mack Butler, Senator Phil Williams, and Committee Members Kent Back, Roy Smith, and Lisa Isbell, we are now able to see this project through to fruition.”
Temple Beth Israel was built in 1923, and the stained-glass windows are a prominent feature of the historic facility. The building was gifted to the City of Gadsden by the members of the congregation, and the Gadsden Cultural Arts Foundation assumed the management of the property in 2011. The facility became the permanent home of the Etowah Youth Orchestras in 2012, and was renamed The Music Center at Temple Beth Israel.
“We are proud to call The Music Center at Temple Beth Israel home, and it is our goal to continue to preserve the beauty and history of this wonderful site,” added Gagliardo. “The new window coverings really make the stained-glass panels stand out, and the natural light now streaming into the Rehearsal Hall really enhances the space.”
The Etowah Youth Orchestras is a project of the Gadsden Cultural Arts Foundation, in partnership with the Attalla City, Etowah County, and Gadsden City Boards of Education, and the City of Gadsden.