Cerritos College opens new Performing Arts Center

NORWALK — Cerritos College celebrated the grand opening of its new Performing Arts Center on July 14 with more than 350 community members in attendance. 

The Performance Arts Center features a 400-seat theater, general-purpose classrooms, a 100-seat lecture and recital hall, a computer lab, and support spaces. The building also houses the Music Department’s instructional labs, band and choir rooms, teaching and practice rooms, and faculty offices.

The state-of-the-art facility features Yamaha and Böesendorfer grand pianos purchased through a $500,000 gift from late music professor Dr. Connie Mayfield and her mother, Lois Mayfield. Dr. Mayfield’s love of music will live on with these top-of-the-line instruments that will become a source of learning and joy for countless students.

On the Theatre Department’s side, the Center houses instructional labs for lighting and rigging, a makeup lab, a costume lab, dressing rooms, a green room, and a scene shop with an outdoor work yard.

The Performing Arts Center is also green-certified and meets the sustainability requirements of the U.S. Green Building Council. The Center is the campus’s second green-certified project funded through its bond construction program. 

“We are thankful to our community for supporting the construction of this beautiful, student-centered facility,” said Dr. Jose Fierro, Cerritos College President/Superintendent. “The new Performing Arts Center will serve as a cultural hub for our campus and community, providing students with a creative learning environment to develop their skills. A powerful combination of student-centered spaces, highly skilled faculty, and innovative curriculum is what brings this building to life and translates to student success for generations to come.”