In 1958, when a new high school opened at the current location of Fort Dodge Senior High, the former high school became North Junior High and later renamed Phillips Middle School until 2014. The Foutch Brothers development group purchased the vacated Phillips Middle School in 2018 and converted it into a luxury apartment complex. In 2019, the Fort Dodge Fine Arts Association forged a partnership with Foutch Brothers to renovate the Phillips Middle School Auditorium and make it usable again for a wide variety of programming.

The Fort Dodge Community Foundation recently made a $20,000 grant to help the Fort Dodge Fine Arts Association (FDFAA) reach its Phase 1 goal of $150,000.

The $20,000 grant will provide the final dollars needed for the FDFAA to purchase and install a new stage curtain for the auditorium.

The recent Fort Dodge Study Club event at Phillips Auditorium also raised an impressive $25,000 for this project to help bring Phase 1 to fruition.

Randy Kuhlman, chief executive officer of the Fort Dodge Community Foundation states; “The board of directors of the Fort Dodge Community Foundation is very pleased to provide this grant to support this important community project. This historic auditorium will be a significant asset that will benefit the robust performing arts community in Fort Dodge.”

To date, the FDFAA has made huge progress in renovating this iconic auditorium. The FDFAA has installed new carpeting, updated the public restrooms, cleaned the seats, and repaired and painted the stage. They expect to have the stage curtain purchased and installed by August. The auditorium will then be ready for use by the public.

According to Shelly Bottorff, executive director of the Fort Dodge Fine Arts Association; “This restored auditorium will celebrate its 100th anniversary this September. We are very appreciative of the great community support we have received for this project. This renovated venue will be a wonderful addition to our other performing spaces in Fort Dodge. Currently, we lack a large performance space that is free from the constraints of the school year calendar.”

Presently, several organizations have expressed interest in using the auditorium this fall. The auditorium will be available for rehearsal space, dance and music recitals, theatrical and live music events, a variety of business, community and political presentations and events, movie nights and other fun or special events. The FDFAA also plans to offer refreshments on site.

The next step, Phase 2, will be to install an in-house sound and lighting system in the auditorium at an projected cost of $100,000. Fundraising will begin later this year for Phase 2.

Randy Kuhlman is the chief executive officer of the Fort Dodge Community Foundation and United Way. Shelly Bottorff is the executive director of the Fort Dodge Fine Arts Association.