The Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center, or Livermore Arts, is the independent, nonprofit organization that operates the Bankhead Theater and the Bothwell Arts Center. Its mission is to offer a broad range of arts opportunities and experiences to engage the diverse Tri-Valley community, and its vision is to become the heart of a vibrant cultural arts community. Livermore Arts is the venue for 10 resident companies, which includes the Rae Dorough Speaker Series (RDSS), Del Valle Fine Arts, Livermore-Amador Symphony, Livermore Valley Opera, Pacific Chamber Orchestra, Tri-Valley Repertory Theater, Valley Dance Theater, Valley Concert Chorale, and Cantabella Children's Chorus, which all perform at the Bankhead Theater, plus the  Sycamore Strings Academy, which performs at the Bothwell Arts Center. 

"We are a stunning regional arts organization presenting quality entertainment and providing a venue for local nonprofit arts organizations and visual artists," says Ruth Egherman, Director of Marketing. "The Bankhead is a jewel in the community, and one of the most beautiful performance spaces in the Bay Area. First-time visitors to the Bankhead are absolutely blown away."

There is something for everyone at Livermore Arts, notes Egherman. Whether you enjoy guitar music, swing, jazz, opera, symphony, stand-up comics, family shows, or the visual arts, you can find it at either the Bankhead Theater, which opened in 2007, or the Bothwell Arts Center, which opened in 2006. The evenings of entertainment Livermore Arts offers in a "glamorous but accessible setting" include upcoming speakers such as best-selling author Mary Roach as part of RDSS, the dance group Ballet Folklorico de Mexico, and classic films such as The Band Wagon, with Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse. 

LVPAC also offers a remarkable educational outreach program, according to Egherman. This program includes the East Bay Jazz High School All-Stars, an after-school program for high-caliber musical performance and education for high school jazz musicians. East Bay Jazz's two ensembles, big band and combo, rehearse on a weekly basis. East Bay Jazz students develop their skills within the jazz idiom, gain real-world performance experience, and share their love of music with the East Bay community and beyond in performances held between January and June. 

Those unfamiliar to the Bankhead Theater may not understand "how wonderful the Bankhead theater truly is," says Egherman. "We have a state of the art sound system, art exhibited on the walls, and a beautiful courtyard to enjoy a beverage before the show."

The venue hosts some 40 live events every year. The Band Wagon is showing on Wednesday, February 23. Ballet Folklorico de Mexico will perform on Monday, March 14. Mary Roach will speak on Thursday, March 24. The East Bay Jazz High School All-Stars will be performing at the Bankhead Theater on Sunday, May 15, 2022.

For more information about the Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center, please visit livermorearts.org or look for @bankheadtheater on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.