KALISPELL CELEBRATES THE OPENING OF THE WACHHOLZ COLLEGE CENTER

Named after PureWest agent and philanthropist Paul D. Wachholz, the new Wachholz College Center at Flathead Valley Community College opened in the fall of 2022. It’s an incredible new resource for students as well as the broader community. (And it’s just one example of how PureWest agents are committed to the enrichment of our community!) The 58,000-square-foot Wachholz building houses three facilities, including a performing arts center, arts gallery, activity complex, and events center. With 1,104-seats, superb acoustics, and state-of-the-art design, McClaren Hall is the largest performing arts center in Northwest Montana. Programming kicked off strong with the Marshall Tucker Band, New York Philharmonic String Quartet, and Banff Film Festival. Other facilities include an intimate recital hall, outdoor amphitheater, and music education classrooms. The Wanda Hollensteiner Art Gallery is a refined venue for rotating art exhibits. Selections from the Hockaday Museum of Art’s permanent collection opened the space, followed by the works of Karen Leigh, a watercolorist and mixed media artist. The Stinson Family Event Center is a fitness facility with exercise equipment and spaces for wellness classes like yoga, as well as a dual-court gymnasium. The Wachholz Center is remarkable, but it fits right in at FVCC, a community college with incredible resources and programs. Along with the airport, hospital, and county government, it’s one of Kalispell’s anchor institutions.