Washougal Arts Center

Known as the "gateway to the Gorge," the city of Washougal, Washington, is a small community located on the Washington side of the Columbia River and just a 30-minute drive to Vancouver, WA, and downtown Portland. Once a prominent Northwestern outpost for logging and textiles, Washougal (pop. 16,926) is a mix of blue-collar and white-collar workers, young families, a wealthy business class, retirees, and a rising Hispanic/Latino population.

Without a public performance facility in the region, the Columbia River Arts & Cultural Foundation (CRACF), an all-volunteer non-profit, engaged TheatreDNA to conduct a comprehensive study into the feasibility of developing a performance venue for Washougal. Our services included market analysis, competitor research, facility concepting and costing, as well as an operational model for its ongoing success.

The CRACF board initially envisioned a 1,200-seat performing arts center to serve as the cultural anchor for east Clark County. However, community feedback revealed a stronger preference for a smaller, multiuse venue. Potential users and patrons expressed the need for an intimate facility that could incubate local artists, attract touring acts, and drive downtown economic development while providing multipurpose spaces for classes, meetings, and public events.

Based on this feedback, TheatreDNA and the CRACF board adjusted their plans to focus on a community cultural arts center featuring a 400-seat flexible theatre and versatile spaces for arts and community activities. CRACF is currently fundraising and seeking public-private partnerships to bring this vision to life.