If you've driven down Grand Avenue onto Cal Poly's campus, you've seen it.

Not the looming Yosemite towers, the modern edge of the Vista Grande dining center, or even the iconic red brick dorms. Before you get to any of that, the Performing Arts Center and its plaza come into view—and that view's about the change.

"With immense pride and anticipation, we are breaking ground on the plaza project at our beloved Performing Arts Center [PAC]," Foundation for the Performing Arts Center spokesperson Kristin Hoover told New Times. "This endeavor marks a pivotal moment in the PAC's history, symbolizing our commitment to creating an expanded space that will inspire and unite our community through the arts."

• Photos Courtesy Of Kristin Hoover
• POWERFUL PLAZA Whether you are catching a traveling artist or a performance from the Cal Poly jazz band, the plaza welcomes patrons before any visit to the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center.

For more than 25 years, the plaza has welcomed visitors of all backgrounds, from students to parents to local community members catching a performance there.

"The space can shift in use from a cozy spot for rest and relaxation to an informal performance venue to a place for food and drink before and after PAC events," she said.

Thanks to the efforts of the foundation, the plaza is getting what Hoover considers to be a very important renovation.

"The Foundation for the PAC [has long been] a nonprofit fundraising organization that supports and promotes the arts in the community in collaboration between Cal Poly and the city of San Luis Obispo," Hoover said. "[We] provide funding for the school matinee program and grants to local residents arts groups performing at the PAC."

Hoover expects the renovation efforts to break ground sometime in the fall quarter and be completed by winter 2024, just in time for the winter and spring lineup of music, theatre and other performing arts.

"This design will complement the incredible architecture of the PAC, creating an oasis with mature trees, tables, seating, and cinematic lights," she said. "We have undergone extensive planning and design work and the result is this beautiful vision that is ready to be executed."

• Image Courtesy Of Kristin Hoover
• NEW, IMPROVED The Performing Arts Center's plaza renovations, as seen in this rendering, include refurbishing existing structures like the spheres as well as adding new landscaping and sculptures.

The renovation will consist of new sculptures and plant installations and reconfiguring the space in a way that Hoover said will elevate an already welcoming space.

"One of our other focuses is the relocation and inclusion of prior donations to the plaza, which include many cherished memorial benches and the beautiful art installation by artist Ivan McLean, known as the 'spheres,'" Hoover said. "The spheres will be relocated to a prominent area on the plaza that will amplify and enhance them with additional lighting."

None of this would have been possible, Hoover said, without the donation from Cal Poly alumni Ty and Trudie Safreno who in April 2022 gave $1 million to help push the plaza project forward.

"Trudie and Ty are two people who embody the spirit and heart of philanthropy and community," Hoover said. "They recognize needs and step up to support them, as two individuals who are compassionate, humble, and brilliant visionaries."

Ty Safreno said that working alongside the Foundation for the PAC aligned with his value of giving back to the community with something real and impactful.

"This donation will complement the amazing building and create a place for everyone to decompress, gather before a show, and enjoy each other's company after a performance," Safreno said.

• Photos Courtesy Of Kristin Hoover
• LET THERE BE LIGHT The Performing Arts Center plaza renovations will also include improved lighting, which will help enhance the current sculptures that sit in the dark after sunset.

Hoover said she's confident that the new space will make attending anything at the PAC more immersive and more welcoming to those interested in experiencing everything the venue has to offer.

"The new plaza will provide a refuge where students and guests alike can sit, enjoy a cup of coffee, a snack, unwind, and recharge under the new canopy of trees during the day, a magical oasis of light and color by night," Hoover said. "It's a place that can change mood and tempo as desired—a multi-use space that welcomes students, faculty, staff, and PAC guests." Δ

Staff Writer Adrian Vincent Rosas is marveling at the spheres. Reach him at [email protected].