Thyen-Clark Cultural Center

History

Founded on May 12, 1975 as part of the City of Jasper, the Jasper Community Arts Commission became the only arts commission in the state to be officially recognized as a department of the city and under the authority of the city council. Its mission is to stimulate and encourage an appreciation of and participation in the arts by citizens of all ages in Jasper and the nearby area, and to foster an environment conducive to the enjoyment of the arts. Jasper Arts is responsible for the management of the Jasper Arts Center and the Atrium and Arts Wing of the Thyen-Clark Cultural Center.

The Jasper Community Arts Commission consists of 11 government-appointed members. Four members of the Commission are appointed by the Mayor, five by the Jasper City Council, one by the Jasper Parks and Recreation Board and one by the Greater Jasper Consolidated School Board.

Jasper Arts employs a staff to oversee its day-to-day operations and programs. The staff numbers have grown from the original two employees to six full-time and four part-time employees.

Jasper Arts and the Jasper Public Library both began talks of expansion in the early 2000s. Both organizations were looking for additional space to provide and expand the programs they offered. The Library looked into several properties over the years, but for one reason or another nothing stuck. In 2006, Jasper Arts developed plans to expand at the Jasper Arts Center by adding workshop spaces, galleries, additional restrooms, and dressing rooms. The economic downturn in 2008 forced these plans to be scrapped. Both organizations continued to make do with their facilities in hopes that there would be an opportunity to expand at some point.

In December of 2013, the City of Jasper released its Downtown + Riverfront Master Plan. Part of that plan targeted the redevelopment of former industrial properties. One of those properties was the Hoosier Desk Factory. In December of 2014, the Jasper Public Library and Jasper Arts staff and board members toured the Hoosier Desk site and both groups saw potential in the property.

In 2015, Jim and Pat Thyen issued a matching grant challenge to the community, and Jasper LEADs (Library Enrichment Education Downtown) was established. The purpose of LEADs was to raise money for: remodeling the Astra Theatre, located in Downtown Jasper; provide necessary updates to the Jasper Arts Center; and build a new cultural center to house the Jasper Public Library and Jasper Arts.

In the fall of 2015, the Library decided they wanted to pursue building at the Hoosier Desk site and filed a referendum to be proposed for the 2016 election. The City of Jasper committed funding for its portion of the project. In 2016, both organizations sought to inform the public on what the proposed new building would house and how it would function. The referendum passed and then the real work began as to how two government entities, and at the time a private partnership, would function. The private partnership plan included apartments above the Arts portion of the building. The additional apartments that were added throughout Jasper, led to the private partnership dissolving. 

In July of 2018 demolition of the Hoosier Desk Factory began. Demolition and site stabilization was completed and construction began in April 2019. The Thyen-Clark Cultural Center, named for Jim and Pat (Clark) Thyen was completed and opened to the public in January of 2021.