Donor Funds Art Center

Scripps College announced Tuesday that it has received $7 million from an anonymous donor that will allow the school to create a performing arts center on campus.

“There is a lot of joy among the music and dance faculty,” said college President Nancy Bekavac. “This is a huge gift that will benefit the entire community.”

The gift, the largest in the school’s history, will help reconstruct the Garrison Theater and will be used to build a 25,000-square-foot addition for rehearsals and recitals.

The center also will have teaching studios, seminar and practice rooms, offices, a recording studio and music library.

The music and performance facilities also will be used by the students and faculty of Harvey Mudd, Claremont McKenna and Pitzer colleges, as well as some local high schools, officials said.

The new center will be named MaryLou and George Boone Hall in honor of the donors who gave a “lead gift” to the school last year. It will be designed by Boora Architects of Portland, Ore.

The total cost of the project is $11.5 million. The remainder of the money already has been raised through fund-raising efforts. Construction is scheduled to start this spring and be completed by November 2003.

Scripps College, 30 miles east of Los Angeles, has an enrollment of fewer than 1,000 students.