In just a few short years, Carlsbad has come alive with masterful art pieces and theatrical performances throughout the community. Artists have made many interpretations and ever changing art pieces over empty spaces and oceanfront areas that locals and tourists have deemed Carlsbad trademarks. One of the many trademarks being the Carlsbad New Village Arts Theatre which is full of history and sits right in the heart of Carlsbad.

New Village Arts was founded in 2001 where it began in a converted chicken coop; now a historical building called the Granary in Magee Park. Jack Missett, the husband of Judi Missett, the founder of Jazzercise, took up classes at the theatre, and when New Village Arts needed to move, classes and performances were held in the corporate headquarters of Jazzercise. About 11 years ago, the City of Carlsbad sponsored the program into their current location, which is now in the heart of Carlsbad- The Village. The owner of Carlsbad New Village Arts Theatre, Kristianne Kurner, gave insight into how the theatre began and what the theatre does in the community.

“We are a theater and arts company,” Kurner said. “We’re in our seventeenth season right now and we do year round professional theatre. We also have our Foundry artist studios which is a studio space for visual artists. We have a very robust education and outreach program in all the local high schools and a number of other outreach programs… we’re really the cultural center for Carlsbad.”

Kurner added how crucial the arts are in communities, especially the Carlsbad community. She shares the importance of the arts and the impact they have on a healthy society.

“[The arts are] crucial you know to have a healthy community you have to have cultural experiences,” Kurner said. “Experiences that allow the residents to think beyond themselves, to have a larger experience than they might have in their everyday lives. And so what the arts do are allow people to dream bigger, it creates more empathy in a society, and it creates more creativity that has people thinking in better and more complete ways… to create a more healthy society.”

Kuner shares the outreach programs that New Village Arts Theatre offer. She also adds what she believes are the goals of the theatre.

“We want to continue to be the cultural heart of Carlsbad,” Kurner said. “We are growing some of our programs, we are really proud, one is called Teatro Pueblo Nuevo, it’s an outreach program to the bilingual and bicultural community in Carlsbad making sure every single person has access to the arts.”

The theatre includes educational programs, in order to provide students opportunities to get involved in the arts within their community.

“…Something we hear a lot are that people in Carlsbad are not aware of the many artistic opportunities that they have and I think with the way the teens use social media so well and the network that you all have can be used to show the many artistic opportunities that are available,” Kurner said.

In the past years, New Village Arts has evolved and become an outlet for students, locals, and theatre lovers. The culture and the environment that the Carlsbad community offers is thriving in the art community today.

“Attending all the shows that [students can] because then you become some of the beast advocates for our shows… because seeing and getting the experience and telling everyone is one of the best way to be involved in our community,” Kurner said.