Mikey Wiencek, director of operations at the Brewery Arts Center, is especially pleased with how the new outdoor lighting frames the building without blinding pedestrians and cars.
A few months ago, if Mikey Wiencek flipped a light switch in the Brewery Arts Center, it might turn on a bulb down the hall and around the corner from the room he was standing in. As director of operations, it annoyed him to no end.
Now, with recent facility upgrades, the BAC’s HVAC system, restrooms, roof and most of all, the lights, are looking better than ever (and it’s all wired correctly).
“The lighting and new switches inside the buildings were a total game changer for us,” said Wiencek. “Our galleries, offices, and classrooms are so much brighter and make the art so much nicer, and the restrooms and hallways that were so yellow and dim are all bright, and clean.”
He joked with the Appeal that he and other BAC staff wore sunglasses in the building for the first few days with new lights because they’d gotten so used to dead bulbs.
The renovations are funded through a $220,000 grant from the Nevada Commission for Cultural Centers and Historic Preservation.
The BAC still has a few rooms and bathrooms to upgrade, and it’s certainly not the end of Wiencek’s to-do list for facility improvements. He would still like to replace some of the windows on the Performance Hall and restore the brick on the Artisan Gallery and Ballroom.
But he’s still thrilled about the recent facility upgrades. It’s the first time since the 1970s that staff and guests get to see the BAC in new light.
