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JPAC’s 633-seat auditorium, completed in 1923 as part of what was then Janesville High School, is today the Hansch Theater in honor of a $250,000 lead gift Dennis and Liz Hansch gave in 2018.

It funded the next step in JPAC’s story that began in the late 1990s with a vision and became a reality with the performing arts center’s opening in 2004, said Laurel Canan, JPAC’s executive director from 2004 to 2008.

The Hansch’s gift helped renovate and technically re-outfit the historic theater to allow for its continued staging of modern productions, including replacing decades-old sound and lighting production equipment. It also funded the conversion of a space in the building that had held a swimming pool into an education and outreach center for youth programs.

Other parts of the former high school on South Main Street in Janesville have in recent years been converted into the Marshall Apartments.

The Hendricks Family Foundation, a philanthropic group operated by Beloit businesswoman Diane Hendricks, also donated $200,000 in 2018, for a total of $450,000 given that year between the two major gifts.

‘Community effort’

They were two contributions in a long succession of significant gifts that included Harvey and Virginia Turner’s lead gift of $100,0000 and Jane Blain Gilbertson and Mick Gilbertson’s lead gift of $100,000, Canan said. Al and Lois Hough, of the Janesville High School Class of 1938, engaged all the graduating classes from 1932 onward, raising over $253,000.

The original campaign leading up to JPAC’s opening in 2004 “was a massive community effort that took almost 7 years to bring to fruition,” Canan said, also noting the work of Jim Thorpe to create the nonprofit organization behind JPAC.

“There are many other unsung heroes in the JPAC story. Hundreds were involved,” Canan said. One of my favorite donations was the $1.38 given to me in coins from a 6 year old.”

‘So many worthy opportunities’

"There's so many worthy opportunities," Liz Hansch reflects now. "There's so much going on. Janesville is important to us. It's where Dennis grew up and it's where we raised our kids. Finding things that speak to us in Janesville are particularly important."

The naming of a theater in honor of a major contributor is a path Liz Hansch’s family has also been down in her hometown in northwest Iowa.

"I grew up in a very small town in northwest Iowa, and my mother is a pianist," Liz said. "(She) taught piano forever and accompanied all the kids and all the musicals. That kind of community participation in the arts was something that I grew up with.”

“Several years ago, my Iowa family made a contribution to a performing arts center in our little town. It's named after my mother and it's part of my history, part of my heritage, part of my family's history,” she continued. "I've played in the band and I sang in the choir. I was in the musicals. It was always part of my growing up.”

“That's something that's been important to me. With the example of my parents and our family supporting the organization in Iowa, it was an obvious opportunity for us when we had that opportunity in Janesville."

Dennis and Liz Hansch met at Drake University. He finished his degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and they moved back to Janesville where they raised their family and he worked as a lawyer, eventually retiring from Nowlan Law in 2017.

‘Incredible supporters’

Designed in a collegiate gothic style in the 1920s by Milwaukee architects Van Ryn and DeGelleke, the former Janesville High School at 408 S. Main St. is of exterior red brick and Bedford limestone, and was constructed by JP Cullen of Janesville. Dennis' mother went to high school there.

In 1955, the building became Marshall Junior High. It was later renamed Marshall Middle School, where Dennis went to school.

JPAC’s founding brought together in the Hansch Theater a variety of local theater groups that had been spread out across the city in individual spaces. Today, JPAC’s resident groups include 5678 Dance Studio, Life Dance Academy, Janesville Little Theatre, Janesville Art League, Veracity Dance Project, Spotlight on Kids, Unity Onstage and Collective Art Circle.

Janesville native Nathan Burkart has also found a home at JPAC as its executive director since 2016, following in the footsteps of earlier executive directors who laid JPAC's foundation.

Burkart said the founding of JPAC, and the continued expansion of its programming and community outreach, wouldn't be possible without contributors and local arts champions like Dennis and Liz Hansch.

"They're incredible supporters of the Performing Arts Center," Burkart said. "They are a very large reason why we were able to get our capital campaign accomplished back in 2019,” to upgrade the theater’s lighting and sound equipment.

"They also donate money to us every single year and attend important events. It’s helped us grow."

The Hansches have supported arts causes in Naples, Madison and Janesville, and "typically, we're looking to support things on an anonymous basis. And when this project came up, that was probably our leaning as well,” Liz Hansch recalls. “But at the time, there was an effort to get people involved. We were talked into lending our name to this project as well to encourage others to give."

She credited JPAC’S leadership for its ongoing growth.

“Nate Burkart is fabulous, a great guy. So are Jane Blain Gilbertson and Mick Gilbertson. They've been leading the arts in Janesville for many, many years,” she said.

“I think Nate is the reason that the shows are so good. That's the reason that there's so much diversity in offerings,” Dennis said. “That's the reason why the children's programs are so great. He's a Janesville guy, and he loves what he's doing. He loves Janesville. We're so lucky to have him.”

For his part, “it's reassuring and I'm honored that they believe in the direction that we've been able to bring JPAC over the last few years,” building on the initial fundraising, Burkhart said.

"What we wanted to do is activate the space as much as possible: doing touring and rentals, being able to go and produce our own content and have tons of programming throughout the year. Those are the types of activities that (supporters) want to see.”

"So many people donate resources, time and money to us during the year. It's nice to know that they believe in what we're doing,” Burkhart continued, noting that “when people do philanthropy for JPAC, very seldom do they just write us a check and then disappear. They attend shows, they're part of the vision. They help us shape it.”