Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : CalArts Mixes Anniversary, Quake Repair Celebrations : Education: Quirky observances at the school include a Three Stooges skit and a jazz concert. Classes have begun, but recovery continues.

In an off-beat ceremony reflecting its creative reputation, CalArts on Friday marked its 25th year, as well as the school’s recovery from the Northridge earthquake.

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A traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony turned into a Three Stooges sketch that left the school’s president wrapped in yellow tape. That was followed by a jazz performance given from the back of a truck.

The event was a suitably quirky welcome-back to the highly renowned arts school founded by Walt Disney.

“My heart’s quite full,” said Steven D. Lavine, CalArts president. “It’s such a miracle that we have this wonderful--better--building back.”

More than 300 students, alumni, faculty and officials turned out for the ceremony, some dressed formally and others clad for art college in T-shirts, shorts and sandals. One student wore a black shirt with “Shift Happens: CalArts ‘94” printed across the front in cracked, white and yellow lettering.

It was one of several references to the Jan. 17 earthquake that battered the 60-acre campus during its first week of the spring semester, hammering the 500,000 square-foot main building that houses art and music studios, rehearsal rooms and administrative offices.

“The boiler moved 15 miles off its spot and we still can’t find it!” quipped Jeff Libby, impersonating Moe Howard in a skit about the Three Stooges as the earthquake repair crew. “What are you people doing here? We’re not finished yet!”

Repairs will indeed continue during the semester, but classes resumed earlier this month--much to the relief of the college leadership. The campus had suffered about $30 million in damage and it was unknown whether CalArts would see its 25th year.

“Those of you who were here Jan. 17 know that the last time the community gathered on these steps, it was because we couldn’t go inside,” said Lavine. “It is a heroic and wonderful story. This was an effort of this entire community and the surrounding community in Santa Clarita and the surrounding community in Los Angeles.”

Classes were halted for two weeks after the quake, and then were resumed in makeshift classrooms in buildings ranging from a synagogue to an abandoned aerospace facility. CalArts officials on Friday praised the efforts of businesses, government agencies and faculty members who provided classroom space, money and muscle to help the campus recover.

“It’s hard to believe that a few months ago, this place looked like Bosnia,” trustee Joe Smith said in a speech.

CalArts received about $22 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and $4.4 million in private grants for earthquake repairs.

About 1,000 students attend the private college, which includes schools of art, dance, film, music, theater and critical studies.

Disney began planning CalArts in 1960, ultimately merging the Chouinard Art Institute and the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music in 1961. He died in 1966, but plans proceeded and the institute formed in Los Angeles. Construction on its new campus began in 1969, and the school moved to Valencia in November, 1971.

Harrison A. Price, a CalArts trustee who helped cut the ribbon Friday, suggested the school’s founder would be pleased with how well the campus is rebuilding after the earthquake.

“Walt Disney was a constant tinkerer, who would rip out parts of his park to make improvements,” said Price. “When I look back (at the earthquake), I wonder if he didn’t have a hand in it.”