At JPCatholic, our mission is to form graduates ready to Impact Culture for Christ using their skills in the Creative Arts & Business Innovation. Praise God, many of our 900+ alumni have accepted this bold and courageous challenge.
As our university has grown, God has blessed us with the philanthropy to acquire and renovate mission-critical real estate in historic downtown Escondido. In 2016, thanks to a very generous $1.5-million-dollar gift, we acquired a strategically critical building to house studios for our Creative Arts programs and to cement our competitive positioning as the Catholic University for the Creative Arts.
The design process began in 2022, and the construction phase, which began in early 2024 thanks to another very generous $1 million gift, is now nearing completion. Our faculty and students are eager to begin using this new facility in 2025.
Unfortunately, this year JPCatholic has, like everyone else, been greatly impacted by inflation. It has increased the costs of student scholarships, staffing, campus housing, and post-construction expenses to get the building interiors ready for student learning. We now seek to raise $750,000 - from God through you - to ensure our Creative Arts Complex crosses the finish line and reaches full utilization ASAP. Funds will be used to finish the building interiors, furnish it, and install state-of-the-art technology for our students.
Donors have reacted with great enthusiasm, as you can see from the giving status above which summarizes our current amount raised and pledged since July 1, 2024. Lidy and I feel privileged to have been able to donate $25,000 and to have front row seats to the amazing transformations occurring in the spiritual and professional lives of our students and alumni. We welcome and strongly encourage you to join us.
Whether you can give $100 dollars or a million, $1,000 dollars or $100,000 - we welcome you to give generously any amount you can today to ensure that JPCatholic continues equipping our students and alumni with the very best resources, to enrich their education and impact culture for Christ.
May the Lord continue to richly bless you,
Dr. Derry Connolly
Founding President
Transforming our Campus
Coming in 2026, the 30,000 sq. ft. facility will more than double our academic space
This new, two building complex will house our cinematic & visual arts programs in one, and our performing arts in the second - each offering state-of-the-art resources for student learning and alumni collaboration across our creative continuum. A courtyard will connect the two buildings, and serve as a venue for community events, outdoor performances, and student life activities.
This flagship complex will equip our growing student body with the resources needed to produce impactful projects across the creative arts. These include an illustration studio, acting rehearsal studio, along with additional classrooms, computer labs, and more.
The complex will include:
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Gallery
Entering the Cinematic & Visual Arts building, students will be greeted by a wide open lobby featuring a mural of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
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Soundstage
The new soundstage is 25% larger than our current one, providing ample space for film sets and virtual productions with motion capture technology.
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The Roost
This flexible space is designed for collaboration, creativity, and innovation among our students and alumni. It can host film production and editing workstations, alongside ideation spaces for writers, designers, creative entrepreneurs, and more.
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Editing Suite
The new editing suite will provide additional workstations for post-production and visual arts projects.
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Music Studio
The new Pelican Reef Studio will provide a space for students to compose and create music, as well as record sound effects for a variety of projects.
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Illustration Studio
A larger art studio will serve as a dedicated space for illustration students.
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Equipment Room
The equipment room will provide access to cameras, lights, tripods, and other film gear, along with digital illustration tablets.
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Rehearsal Studio
An open rehearsal studio provides a dedicated space for our acting students, including more room for sets, costumes, and props storage. The performance area matches the dimensions of the stage at the Grand Ritz Theater.
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Faculty Offices
Office space for creative arts faculty.
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Computer Lab
The new computer lab will host classes for post-production and visual arts students.
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Pelican Plaza
A courtyard will serve as a venue for community events, outdoor performances, and student life.
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Parkette
An adjacent parkette provides an additional venue for outdoor events involving lawn games, food trucks, etc.
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The Perch
A public lounge and store-front on Broadway will provide opportunities for business and art students.The University is exploring partnerships with local coffee shop companies to inhabit the space.
Please note: Plans for the Creative Arts Academic Complex are subject to change.
Our Campus
“This production space will explode our capacity to produce content across the entertainment spectrum. It will provide increased hands-on learning experience for our students in collaboration with our alumni and other industry partners as they produce commercially viable projects. The expanding media-savvy student and alumni talent pool will make Escondido a compelling location for emerging communications-centric companies to incubate and grow.”
Dr. Derry Connolly
Founding President
Naming Opportunities
| Naming Opportunity | Gift |
|---|---|
| Creative Arts Complex Courtyard | $500,000 |
| Film Soundstage | $250,000 |
| Performing Arts Rehearsal Space | $250,000 |
| Classroom | $100,000 |
| Gallery | $100,000 |
| Parkette | $75,000 |
| Lounge on Broadway | $60,000 |
| Media Computer Lab | $50,000 |
| Illustration Studio | $40,000 |
| Production Offices | $25,000 |
| Equipment Room | $20,000 |
| West End Entrance | $20,000 |
| Editing Suites (4 stations) | $10,000 |
| Faculty Offices (6) | $5,000 |
| Courtyard Donor Bricks | $1,000 |
| Gallery Donor Tree | $500 |
| Gallery Donor Wall | $100 |
| Naming Opportunity |
Gift |
|---|---|
| Cinematic & Visual Arts Building | $1,000,000 |
| Performing Arts Building | $1,000,000 |
| Creative Arts Complex Courtyard | $500,000 |
| Film Soundstage | $250,000 |
| Performing Arts Rehearsal Space | $250,000 |
| Classroom | $100,000 |
| Gallery | $100,000 |
| Parkette | $75,000 |
| Lounge on Broadway | $60,000 |
| Media Computer Lab | $50,000 |
| Illustration Studio | $40,000 |
| Production Offices | $25,000 |
| Equipment Room | $20,000 |
| West End Entrance | $20,000 |
| Editing Suites (5 stations) | $10,000 |
| Faculty Offices (6) | $5,000 |
| Courtyard Donor Bricks | $1,000 |
| Gallery Donor Tree | $500 |
| Gallery Donor Wall | $100 |
Make a Gift
Thank you for your generous support for our Creative Arts Complex!
Give Online
Make your tax-deductible donation now, using your credit card or your checking account.
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Personal Check
Please mail your personal check payable to JPCatholic:
John Paul the Great Catholic University
220 W. Grand Ave., Escondido, CA 92025
Stock Gifts
Charles Schwab
Account: 6075-0902
DTC: 0164
Tax ID: 20-0471061
Talk in Person
For more details on making a gift, please contact us:
Ken Sharrar
Mission Advancement Director
Get in Touch
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