The Mary Anderson Arts Center
To Honor their Mother
The Mary Anderson Arts Center, located in the dramatic lower-level spaces beneath the auditorium, is as yet unconstructed.
To honor their mother Mary, now deceased, the children of Chet and Mary Anderson—Kirsten, Kathleen, Melinda, Chris and Eric—have chosen the Arts Center as a named gift.
Speaking on behalf of his siblings, Eric Anderson said, “When she was a girl, Mary Sundahl Anderson had some dreams of becoming a fashion designer, but her life took other directions. Although fine arts were not a major part of her life, she saw their unique value. She celebrated them in many ways. She believed in their importance as a way of enriching her life and the life of the community. She passed that belief on to her children and grandchildren.
"Art is not only a product or activity but is also a way of conducting your life inventively and generously. As a wife and mother and friend to so many, Mary’s approach to life was fundamentally creative. So the Anderson family wishes to acknowledge, by making possible the arts center, not only their mother’s appreciation of the arts but also her special attitude toward living. We believe to have a place in McPherson whose sole purpose is to foster creativity would please our mother very much.”
On February 2, 1921, Chester (Chet) Anderson, as a seven-year-old child, saw David Björling and his three sons, Gost, Jussi, and Olie perform on the stage of the McPherson Opera House. Jussi Björling went on to become one of the most celebrated operatic tenors of the 20th Century.
Chet has retained a strong memory of that day, and he, his wife Mary, and their children were early and consistent supporters of the rehabilitation of the McPherson Opera House.
