Twenty years ago, if you wanted to see a professional ballet troupe, listen to a symphonic orchestra, laugh at a stand-up comic or enjoy the performance of a popular singer, you had to drive to downtown Kansas City.

That all changed in 1990-1991,when the performing arts found a home in Johnson County. This week, the Performing Arts Series celebrates 20 years on stage at JCCC.

In the early 1980s, JCCC asked the county commissioners to appoint a feasibility committee to study the need for a cultural center in Johnson County. The committee’s final report, issued in 1985, revealed that most county residents had attended at least one cultural arts performance or exhibit in Kansas City within the previous year. But few people said they attended arts events regularly, and even fewer of those events were held in Johnson County.

A county-wide survey showed that 94 percent of Johnson County residents favored a performing arts center in their own backyard. So a task force was organized to discuss the creation of such a center.

In response to the task force findings, in 1987 the JCCC trustees agreed to build a new arts center on the college campus. The new building would be placed in a prominent position on the northeast side of the campus to serve as a “front door” for JCCC.

The Cultural Education Center (CEC) opened for classes in fall 1990 and was officially dedicated in October of that year. At the time, the facility was home to the college’s continuing education branch, its academic theater program and its bookstore and housed a small art gallery in addition to performance spaces. The CEC was renamed the Carlsen Center in 1998 after former JCCC President Charles J. Carlsen.

The performance spaces were officially opened with a gala performance by the Kansas City Symphony and comedian Bill Cosby in January 1991. (Singer Lou Rawls was the headliner for the 10^th anniversary celebration in April 2001, while singer Natalie Cole helps celebrate the center’s 20^th anniversary on Sept. 25.) Offerings that first spring season included the Kansas City Series, which featured performances by the Missouri Repertory Theatre (now Kansas City Repertory Theatre), the Lyric Opera, the State Ballet of Missouri, the Kansas City Symphony and local jazz musicians. The Center Series featured performances by the American Dance Theatre and the AMAN International Folk Ensemble.

Through the years, performers ranging from Kathleen Battle to Mikhail Baryshnikov to Emmylou Harris have graced the Yardley stage. Over time, the Center Series was joined by a variety of other series focusing on classical music, dance, theater and family entertainment. This year, however, the college no longer offers pre-packaged series; instead, patrons may create their own.

JCCC’s performance spaces not only inspire artistry but also generosity. The 1,300-seat auditorium was named Yardley Hall in 1990 in honor of Arthur and Alma Yardley, who donated $2.1 million to an endowment for performances. In 2004, the 400-seat theater was named the Polsky Theatre in honor of the Norman and Elaine Polsky Family Supporting Foundation within the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation. And in May 2010, the Black Box Theatre, used exclusively by the college’s academic theatre department, was named for Harvey S. Bodker.

Emily Behrmann, the center’s first house manager in 1991, is now the performing arts series’ general manager. “It’s astonishing to realize the Performing Arts Series is celebrating its 20^th anniversary,” Behrmann said. “It seems like only yesterday we were hosting some of the first artists to appear on the Yardley Hall stage. I guess you could say our baby has grown up. What a great legacy we have, and what exciting promise for the future.”

In 2009-2010, more than 84,500 people attended performances and other events in the Carlsen Center. Since they opened, the performance spaces have welcomed more than 1,725,000 attendees. Twenty-three years ago, that task force was right: Johnson County residents would welcome a performance center right in their own backyard.