FAQs and Fun Facts

The Clay Center Presents season is its own performance season which begins in September and ends in May. These performances are completely separate from the Broadway Series, the Woody Hawley Concert Series, the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra Series, and any other performances, rental or otherwise, held in the Clay Center.

Test Your Clay Center Knowledge

Who are the Clays? 
The Clay Foundation is the largest donor to the Clay Center project. On September 9, 1999, the Center for the Arts & Sciences of West Virginia was officially named the Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences West Virginia, in honor of its largest donors, Buckner and Lyell Clay of the Clay Foundation.

Lyell Clay was the retired co-chair and founder of the Clay Foundation, which he and his brother, Buckner Woodward Clay II, established in 1987 to enhance the quality of life of the citizens of West Virginia. He was also the former chairman of Clay Communications, Inc. and publisher/owner of the Charleston Daily Mail.

A songwriter and composer, he wrote "West Virginia’s Home To Me." Among his many honors are being one of The State Journal’s "55 best things about WV," WVU Foundation’s 2000 Most Loyal West Virginian, 1998 College of Creative Arts Dean’s Award, the 1993 Spirit of the Valley Community Award, the Sunday Gazette-Mail’s 1992 West Virginian of the Year, and the 1996 Marshall University Business College Hall of Fame Award.

Lyell Clay earned an M.B.A. from West Virginia University in 1975. He received a B.A. in music education from Williams College in 1944, an LLB from the University of Virginia in 1948, an M.A. from Marshall University in 1956, a Doctor of Letters from the University of Charleston in 1987 and Doctor of Laws from the West Virginia Graduate College in 1993. Clay was also a 1967 graduate of Harvard University’s advanced management program.

Buckner Clay served both his community and his country. He served with an attachment of the British Army, the American Field Service, in North Africa and India from 1942-44. He worked for the Charleston Daily from 1950-1954 and Charleston Newspapers from 1962-1985. From 1957 through 1985, he was the vice president and secretary for Clay Communications, Inc.

Buckner Clay was a former board member of the Charleston chapters of The Red Cross, the Boy Scouts of America, and the Family Service of Kanawha Valley. He sat on the board of governors for Edgewood Country Club, was board chairman for Highland Hospital, and a former member of the session of the Kanawha Presbyterian Church.

He attended Choate School, Class of 1938 and the University of Virginia, Class of 1942.


When did construction actually begin? (i.e., groundbreaking)
May 2, 1999 


What is the square footage of the building?
240,000 square feet 


How many kitchens does the Clay Center have?
3 


How many bricks were used in the building?
500,000 


How many named bricks are found in the ground outside the main entry to the building?
@ 747 bricks (as of 10/10/06) 


How many concrete blocks were used in the construction of the building?
400,000
 

How much does the building weigh?
199,000,000 pounds 


How much does the Clay Center cost per pound?
59 cents per pound 


What is the length of the freight elevator?
22 feet 


What is the name of the last architectural firm overseeing the Clay Center project?
Gates, Calloway, Moore & West 


How many acres make up the Clay Center facility?
4+ acres


What outdoor spaces are available for rent?
The Clark Performance Place Terrace and the Sculpture Garden 


Where is the special family restroom located in the Center?
The hallway by the gift shop 


Who donated the cherry wood veneer throughout the building?
The Dean Company of Princeton, West Virginia 


How does the Clay Center Grand Lobby compare to a football field in length?
The Clay Center Grand Lobby is equivalent in length to 2/3 of a football field. 


What type of flooring is found in the Grand Lobby?
Terrazzo 


Who made this flooring?
Roman Mosaics, a company out of New York who also worked on Reagan Airport


What source provides the greatest funding to the Clay Center?
Private donations 


What size film does the ElectricSky™ Theater use?
70 mm 


What purpose do the perforated holes in the ElectricSky™ Theater dome serve?
They reduce the weight of the aluminum in the dome by 22%. 


How many speakers in the ElectricSky™ Theater?
There are 14 speakers total in the planetarium (6 sub-woofers and 8 regular). 


How many rows of seats are in the ElectricSky™ Theater?
9 


Why are the ElectricSky™ Theater seats tilted?
The further you get toward the front of the Planetarium, the harder it is to see the back of the screen; therefore, the seats in the front of the Theater are tilted more than those in the back


What is the circumference of the ElectricSky™ Theater dome?
61 foot diameter 


How many seats are in the ElectricSky™ Theater?
175 


How tall and wide is the ElectricSky™ Theater screen?
61 feet wide x 30 ½ feet tall 


How much does the ElectricSky Theater’s star ball weigh?
1,800 pounds


How many stars make up the star ball?
10,000 stars 


How did the Clark Performance Place get its name?
The Clark Performance Place is the name given to the overall performance center. This space is named for Walter E. Clark, husband of Juliet Staunton Clay, mother of Lyell & Buckner Clay, for whom the building is named. 


How did the Walker Theater get its name?
This theater was named in memory of Bessie and Rome H. Walker, parents of Dr. James H. Walker of Charleston. 


How many people can the Walker Theater seat?
200 


What are the dimensions of the Walker Theater?
55 ft wide x 45 feet


How did the Maier Foundation Performance Hall get its name?
This hall was named the Maier Foundation Hall, honoring the Maier Foundation. This foundation has been a strong supporter of the community through scholarships, social service and the arts.
 

What is a “sprung” floor (i.e., the stage in the Maier Foundation Performance Hall)?
A “sprung” is a wood floor that is not placed directly on concrete, but actually has a layer of insulation between the wood and concrete. This means the floor has some give for dancers, etc. The floor has a layer of concrete on the bottom, then on top of that a layer of insulation, and then the very top consists of wood. 


What are the dimensions of the Maier Foundation Performance Hall stage when the hall seats 1,880 people (the Hall seats 1,880 when both stage lifts are completely lowered)?
55 ft. wide x 45 ft. deep
 

How many stage lifts are there in the Maier Foundation Performance Hall?
2; they are manually operated 


What are shell towers?
Special stage walls, which are 15 feet wide and three stories tall. They can be set in key positions that project sound into the audience and curve it around the sides of the Hall to embrace everyone in the audience (especially good for Symphony performances). 


Who is the Performers’ Lounge named for?
John McClaugherty 


How many seats are in the Maier Foundation Performance Hall?
1,883


How many rows of seats are in the Maier Foundation Performance Hall, not including the rows in the pit area?
45 


What components make up the ceiling of the Maier Foundation Performance Hall?
18 inches of concrete, then an 8 foot layer of insulation, and then another 18 inch layer of concrete


How tall are the doors leading from the backstage area to the actual stage? 
40 feet


How much did they cost?
$50,000 a piece


What is the square footage of the Science Museum exhibit area?
Over 12,000 sq. ft.


Who created and made the Avampato Discovery Museum science exhibits?
COSI—Center Of Science and Industry – located in Columbus, Ohio 


Who is Milton Gardner?
Milton is the make-believe owner of the Earth City exhibit in the Avampato Discovery Museum 


Which area of the Avampato Discovery Museum is specifically designed for children five and under?
Kidspace


How many balls in the ball pond?
At least 10,000 at any given time
 

What are the names of the characters in Health Royale?
Skully, Funny Bone, Mr. Pee, Pelvis, Slim Picket, Queen Intestine, Brain, Coach Heart, Mrs. Lung, and Hot Lips
 

What is the square footage of the Art Museum exhibit area?
26,550 sq. ft. (including storage & areas necessary to prepare exhibits)—this is 4 times larger than the Sunrise Art Museum space
 

What does “climate controlled” mean (as it relates to the Art Museum)?
This is a key feature to attracting significant traveling art exhibitions. A “climate controlled” system actually regulates temperature, humidity and other environmental factors to the best levels for keeping artwork safe. Many museums restrict loaning their collections only to museums that can assure the works will not be damaged by humidity or other environment factors. With a controlled climate system, the Avampato Discovery Museum will have more opportunities to present major shows from museums all over the world.


How tall are the ceilings in the Juliet Museum of Art?
15 feet high
 

What type of wood makes up the floor in the Juliet Museum of Art?
Maple


How did the Juliet Museum of Art get its name?
The art museum was named by a donor in honor of Juliet Clark Alexander, Lyell and Buckner Clay’s half sister. Alexander worked for a short time at the Charleston Daily Mail newspaper, but spent most of her adult life in France raising Arabian horses. She passed away in 1985. 


How many pieces are in the Clay Center's permanent art collection? 
806

What is a docent?
Art Docents give guided tours of the Museum's changing art exhibitions for groups ranging in age from Pre-school to seniors. Special training sessions are provided for each art exhibit. Docents must be at least 12 years of age or older.
 

What is a Cranium Cadet?
The Avampato Discovery Museum’s youth volunteers, age 13-18. Comprised of students from area middle schools, high schools and home schools, The Cranium Cadets provide visitor services to the Museum’s guests. They facilitate exhibits, assist with special events and present demonstrations. 


What is a kinetic sculpture?
A sculpture in perpetual motion.
 

How tall is the kinetic sculpture in the Clay Center?
The sculpture is 25 feet tall and consists of three sections: Top, Middle and Lower.


Who made the kinetic sculpture?
George Rhoads