More than 30 years ago, on June 6, 1992, HPA’s Gates Performing Arts Center (GPAC) opened its doors. Built through the generosity of community icon LeBurta Gates Atherton and other longtime HPA champions, GPAC remains the school’s preeminent gathering space, and serves both the HPA community and the wider Waimea community in numerous ways.
Now, HPA has received two new grants that will ensure both the immediate and long-term vitality of GPAC: a $100,000 grant from the Atherton Family Foundation will fund capital upgrades to the theater’s lobby, while a grant from the LGA Family Foundation will establish a new endowed fund to help care for the building in perpetuity.
“HPA is honored to receive this meaningful support from both the LGA Family Foundation and the Atherton Family Foundation.” says Hannah Hind Candelario ’01, assistant head of school for advancement. “We are truly grateful to each of these foundations for carrying the torch of generosity and goodwill for this special place that we hold in common.”
As anyone familiar with the school’s campus can attest, buildings at HPA are more than structures – they carry names, inspire memories, and are imbued with meaning and historical weight.
Siblings Patricia Richards-Giles ’79 and Tim Richards ’77 serve on the board of the Atherton Family Foundation and championed the foundation’s grant. Richards-Giles recalls a chance meeting once with HPA’s original architect and master planner, Vladimir Ossipoff. “I told him the chapel was my favorite building, and he agreed. I had no idea I was chatting with him!”
The Atherton Family Foundation grant will be used to revitalize the theater’s lobby. Renovations will include new carpeting throughout the theater, repairs to walls and windows with a new rotating art display from Isaacs Art Center, and other enhancements designed to create a more inviting and accessible space for all who enter the space.
The second grant from the LGA Family Foundation will ensure the long-term care and preservation of GPAC. This visionary grant will support the theater’s continued excellence for generations to come.
The Gates Performing Arts Center is a vital hub for the arts in the Waimea community. Beyond serving as the primary performance venue for HPA students, it hosts a diverse range of events, including concerts, theater productions, guest lectures, dance recitals, community meetings, and more. These generous grants will allow GPAC to flourish, providing opportunities for both students and the wider community to experience the power of the performing arts.
Those who wish to honor the memory of LeBurta Gates Atherton and support the continued success of the theater are encouraged to make a gift. Please reach out to Assistant Head of School for Advancement Hannah Hind Candelario ’01 (hcandelario@hpa.edu) for more information.