Augusta native and opera legend Jessye Norman celebrated her birthday Sunday by accepting a pair of keys on a modest blue ring. It was, she said, one of the greatest gifts she had ever received.
The keys, from Augusta businessman Peter Knox IV, were for the two-story building on the corner of Eighth and Greene streets that will become the home of the Jessye Norman School of the Arts. Mr. Knox donated the building.
The school was founded in 2003 and has operated out of St. John United Methodist Church.
"I was here in May and we toured the building, and it was still a very big question as to whether this could happen," Ms. Norman said. "So to be back in Augusta, just a few months later, and to be offered the keys, well, that's really something."
The building's second floor was finished for a previous tenant, the Cutno Dance studio. The first floor still requires extensive renovation. Carolyn Dolen, the president of the Rachel Longstreet Foundation, which founded the school, said while there's a lot of work to do and money to be raised, she can't help but see the potential.
"This offers us a type of flexibility we never had using another space," she said. "For instance, we never had Wednesday programming because Wednesday is a church day. Now we can ... become a five-day program. We can do things on Saturday. We can do things in the summer. Having a building makes ... so many things possible."
Mr. Knox, who owns several downtown properties, said he is divesting himself of some of his real estate, including the Miller Theater on Broad Street, which is for sale. He said a soft market and an admiration for Ms. Norman and the school's mission made the gift appealing.
"She's from Augusta," he said of Ms. Norman. "She's famous and very accomplished. I still remember the first time I saw her, on German television, and being so impressed. Also, my mother is on the board, and the school is very close. It seemed very convenient, very simple."
As important as the building will be to the school and the students, who begin classes there today, it's also an accomplishment for Augusta as a whole, Ms. Norman said.
"This is about community pride," she said. "Augusta can take pride that something like this can exist, can thrive, in this community."
Reach Steven Uhles at (706) 823-3626 or steven.uhles@augustachronicle.com.
Comments
This is a wonderful and generous gift that will benefit untold numbers for years to come, much like a gift to Fisher House. A donation to Fisher House is a way to give back something to our veterans and active duty military who have given so much for our freedom and safety. You can make a donation through the fund administrator Community Foundation, CSRA PO Box 31358, Augusta GA. 30903. Make sure you put CNVAFH ACVC on the memo line of your check.
Your gift is tax-deductable. Thankyou!
Property getting real cheap in downtown Augusta.
Unload it to a not-for-profit entity for a sizable tax deduction.
Wonder what the tax assessor had it assessed at?
Wonder how much Knox wants for the Miller. Might be good competition for the Imperial. The Arts school is a fine idea. I wish them all the best in getting it up and running and filled with students of the arts.
The knox foundation has done alot for the entire area. thank you peter knox.
Thank you Peter Knox. Peter has invested so much of his time and money into the downtown area. This man has tried so hard to help our downtown for many years, this is a great thing on his part and I can assure you that the so-called 'tax write off' is a lot less than he put in the building. Why is it that people like Peter Knox, who does what he does not for material gain, has his motives questioned all the time but the greedy developers downtown are always praised for thier self serving efforts?
Maybe Augusta downtown should invest more into the arts and not soo much in condos and retail. Westobou is around the corner and is perdicted to bring in 100 thousand visitors. Wouldnt it be impressive to a visitor to see young student of the arts perform and how Augusta invested in it's youth. I pretty sure the Norman School will be another attraction just because of the name. Art schools and academies are smart investments for a resurging downtown.
See Savannah
"Westobou is around the corner and is perdicted to bring in 100 thousand visitors.".. LOL what ARE you smoking???
Was the building a gift or a tax deduction. I always thought a gift was something given with no expectation of return! I am sure that all the donors in Augusta are not mislabeling their intentions and calling something a gift that is really a transfer of tax liability. Just remember some people are able to direct where their taxes are spent (by deductable donations to non-profits) and some are forced to deposit checks into the general fund. As for Ms Norman, I would not know her if I saw her and I'm still wondering why we named the amphitheater after her?
Giving is such a pleasure.
Music is one of the greatest gifts of nature.
Mr. Knox has combined the two which will keep giving back to the community for generations.
Thanks, Mr. Knox.
Billy Reeves
Only in Augusta will people try to made something bad out of a good thing.
Thank you Peter Knox. I hope somebody is able to turn the Miller around, too, if you can't. I really appreciate what your family did for Sacred Heart.
Jesse Norman is one great ambassador for Augusta. The city should see the value in someone of her stature showing an interest in her hometown.
Ms. Jessye Norman is an internationally-renowned Soprano who is giving back to the community with her time and talent. She is a native Augustan who hasn't forgotten us. She is a familiar face on the Arts and Education channels, had a lovely special on that ran many times over and many other performances. She sang here as a guest with the Augusta Opera accompanying her (my father was in the chorus and he was thrilled to be there at such an historic moment) a few years back. She has a list of operatic accomplishments a mile long. She has my respect and admiration. She has a full-bodied soprano voice that is unique among sopranos. It was such a relief to hear the depth of her higher range, I can't abide soprano voices that sound like they are all up in the nasal cavity instead of coming right up from the lungs. I am not deeply into Opera music, but when I have stumbled across her on PBS, I have found her performances riveting. I hope you get a chance to hear her dissman.
Disssman...you should at least attempt to sound intelligent in your post. A) Donating a building is not passing off a tax liability. The property most likely cost Mr. Knox somewhere in the range of 500K. He then drops another sum for renovations. He pays approximately 15K per year for taxes. So, giving the building to a non-profit is not a transfer of tax liability. Trust me...Mr. Knox can afford the 15K per year. He was doing a good thing for the community and his reward is a tax deduction - deal with it - that's the way the laws are written. B) Jessye Norman is wildly successful on an international level. Google her name before revealing your limited local knowledge - it just might add a little credibility to your post...or at a minimum it would add a little knowledge to your otherwise uninformed existence. Excellent job Mr. Knox and Ms. Norman.
Folks I didn't mean to say we don't appreciate the gift, I was just stating what I consider the word GIFT to mean. If it was trully a gift then the donor is saluted. As to Ms. Norman, I have lived here many years and don't recall her visiting on a regular basis or doing anything civic minded (ala James Brown) and was just curious about why we named our amphitheater after her. I didn't realize she is a resident of our fine city!!!
I've often wondered why we don't give Jessye Norman more recognition in Augusta...
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