Rosie’s House will hold a public grand opening this month of its $6.5-million, 15,000-square-foot new home, located at 919 E. Jefferson in downtown Phoenix.
Originally located 25 years ago in a two-room house near 19th Avenue, the organization embarked on the “More than Music” campaign to fund a permanent home and to support the expansion of its programs and mission — to ensure equity in music education by providing free after-school music lessons and youth development for Phoenix’s disadvantaged students.
Led by the community, staff and several prominent philanthropists, the nonprofit raised over $6.5 million, 90 percent of which was raised during the pandemic. Rosie’s House’s new facility is in a prime location on the light rail, enabling easy access for its after-school music program for underserved youth.
The new campus includes the Divine Performance Hall for performances and events, eight classrooms, several private studios for one-on-one instruction for the 500-plus students who receive piano, strings, guitar, winds, mariachi and vocal instruction each week; and the Burton Digital Creativity Center, with nearly 20 state-of-the-art stations for digital music composition, audio engineering and recording. The facility also includes storage for its 900 musical instruments, administrative offices and the Youth and Family Center and Café dedicated by BHHS Legacy Foundation, which serves over 4,000 meals each year to students and their families.
The grand opening celebration will be held on Saturday, Nov. 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will include live music performances, public tours, ribbon cutting with students and Rosie Schurz, the original founder, and an unveiling of its large-scale mural by local artist Shela Yu. For additional information, visit www.rosieshouse.org/grandopening.