Betty Jayne Brimmer Center for the Performing Arts

Farnsworth Group transformed this former community library into a sophisticated entertainment and performing arts center.

The building was designed in 1963 by Richard Doyle, a local architect influenced by the works of Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies van der Rohe. The mid-century design, complete with exposed steel elements and a “floating” staircase, caught the eye of developer and philanthropist Kim Blickenstaff. The “Betty Jayne” is coined in Mr. Blickenstaff’s mother’s namesake who was a well-known acrobatic dancer and performed throughout the Peoria and across the nation.

The original building was stripped of its interior finishes, with the exposed structure painted to become a black-box theater allowing performers to be showcased at the forefront. Doyle’s signature steel stair and wood planks were refinished to new condition. Linear cove lighting was added to highlight the wood planks providing a subtle warmth. Re-using materials from its library service, a new wet bar was designed using the original library circulation desk as its inspiration. The backbar shelving utilized original case work that had been used to store the library’s LP albums.