submitted by Michael Grady, Yavapai College
For 46 years, Jim and Linda Lee have worked to develop and enrich Prescott’s profile as a center for artistic and scholarly achievement in Northern Arizona. On June 28, Yavapai College honored their generosity by etching their names into the profile of the community they have supported for so long.
Yavapai College officially renamed its iconic performance hall The Jim & Linda Lee Performing Arts Center.
“Today we celebrate another act of philanthropy from Jim and Linda that will impact the lives of countless people,” Yavapai College President Dr. Lisa Rhine said, citing the establishment of the Jim and Linda Lee Endowment for the Performing Arts at Yavapai College.
“Gifts of this nature do much more than put a name on a building. They allow us to provide sustainable support for the performing arts. They allow us to continue to bring top-tier talent to our region and to fund operations of Northern Arizona’s premiere arts entertainment venue.”
College officials honored the Lees, whose work creating and developing upscale residential and commercial developments in Prescott has added to the area’s economic growth and prosperity.
Dr. Craig Ralston, YC’s Performing Arts Director of Programming & Development, tracked a legacy that includes local landmarks like The Ranch at Prescott, the Prescott Gateway Mall and Touchmark, as well as benevolent ventures like the Yavapai Symphony, the Jim & Linda Lee Planetarium at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and decades of support for Yavapai College.
“We now celebrate the Jim and Linda Lee Performing Arts Center. It ensures that the arts at YC, and in Yavapai County, continue to grow to future generations,” Ralston said.
The 1,064-seat performing arts center is Northern Arizona’s largest entertainment venue; home of YC’s Performing Arts Department, training the next generation of actors, singers, musicians, and technical theater professionals; and home to the College’s Prescott Campus Art Gallery.
A favorite of local audiences, the venue has offered more than 30 years of touring artists, local talent, symphonies, festivals, motion pictures and local events.
The Jim & Linda Lee Performing Arts Center is at 1100 E. Sheldon St., on the Yavapai College Prescott Campus. The ticket office is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays. For reservations or more event information, call 928. 776.2000 or visit: www.ycpac.com.
