Tommy Washbush
The exterior of ART House 360.
The exterior of the former school sports new murals by area artists Audifax and Triangulador.
When Jessica Lanius first walked into the building that now hosts ART House 360, she wasn’t scouting for a performance venue. She was just dropping off her son at school.
“I always loved this building,” says Lanius, standing in the light-filled entryway of the 1917 historic schoolhouse in Verona that most recently housed the New Century School. Her son was in fourth grade then; now he’s a senior.
The New Century School relocated during the COVID-19 pandemic. As Lanius drove past the then-shuttered location on Verona Avenue, she saw potential: “Could this space become something vital,” she wondered.
Lanius, who is also the co-founder of Theatre LILA, would eventually join forces with the directors of three other arts companies to found a new, nonprofit arts space, ART House 360, in the old school building.
Part rehearsal studio, part performance venue, part community laboratory, ART House 360 will have a grand opening Aug. 14, with a ribbon-cutting at 10 a.m. featuring Verona mayor Luke Diaz. The celebration continues on Aug. 15 with Dancing with the Arts, a community fundraiser and dance party that runs from 7-11 p.m.
Lanius says that the Verona Avenue location presented an opportunity to create a west Madison-and-suburbs home for the arts. “We’re not trying to replicate what already exists,” says Lanius. “We’re asking what’s missing.”
The Verona location is walkable, close to schools, and seeks to serve an increasingly diverse community. “People already go to Spring Green and Paoli for unique arts offerings,” Lanius says. “Why not come to Verona?”
Tommy Washbush
ART House 360 co-founder Jessica Lanius.
Co-founder Jessica Lanius: ‘The possibilities are endless.’
When Lanius co-founded Theatre LILA in 2013, she wasn’t interested in doing business-as-usual theater. She wanted to create new work, reimagine old stories, and build performances from the ground up — sometimes with words, sometimes without. Over the years, Theatre LILA became known for its inventive style, blending movement, music, and poetic storytelling into pieces like Lines, Trash and The Bed Project. The company offered workshops and masterclasses for professional artists, students, and anyone curious about creative collaboration. At its core, Theatre LILA has always been about ensemble work and what Lanius calls “truthful, artistic play.”
That same spirit animates ART House 360, which has a mission to offer arts for everyone.
Accessibility is central. An elevator has been added to the building, tuition for classes will be on a sliding scale, scholarships will be offered, and school partnerships will provide access to arts experiences.
It’s a shared creative home where artists collaborate — without giving up their own voice.
Six resident arts entities have each committed to two free community events per year. The space has already participated in Gallery Night and Make Music Madison, with more free events on the calendar.
“This isn’t a building with occasional shows,” Lanius says. “It’s an open invitation for everyone.”
Along with Theatre LILA, the founding partners include: AJ Juarez of Barrio Dance; Monica Cliff of Inventiva Works (Spanish-language theater and visual arts); and Karisa Johnson of Slate Blue Studios (studio space and art classes). All four groups have space in ART House 360, along with Loud and Proud Studios, and Verona Maker Space.
“There’s no single aesthetic here,” Lanius says. “And that’s the point.”
From the beginning, the team of co-founders insisted artistry be part of the process. “This place wasn’t built by committee,” Lanius says. “It was built by four collaborators who shaped the space by hands, brushes and belief.”
Artists know how to stretch a budget. At ART House 360, that resourcefulness is everywhere. “We’re artists, so we’re crafty and thrifty,” Lanius says. “Sometimes literally.”
Cabinetry came from Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Walls were transformed with bold paint. Artists were brought in early — not just to perform later, but to shape the space itself. Jewel-toned walls and hand-painted murals stretch from the entryway to the studios. A collaborative installation winds through the common spaces, and natural light fills the rooms, bouncing off the maple floors. It seems to invite people to make art from their first step inside.
Floor 360 (no relation to the name of the building, Lanius says) donated the flooring. Bachmann Construction kept the project on time and on budget. The building is now fully ADA compliant.
ART House 360 has already secured $1.8 million of a $3 million fundraising goal — all without a development director or capital campaign. Just four artistic directors, a clear vision, and a willingness to take donor calls and believe it could happen.
Community support will shape what comes next. Organizers are seeking major donors, individual contributors, and volunteers. More than 100 people have already stepped up. The group’s Aug. 15 celebration and fundraiser, Dancing with the Arts, is part fundraiser, part celebration — think of it as Verona’s version of Dancing with the Stars, but for a good cause. The event features live music, dancing, a collaborative art installation, performances and dance instruction by Barrio Dance, and plenty of food and drink from local vendors. The goal is to raise $30,000 toward ART House 360’s capital campaign, with proceeds supporting scholarships, specialized arts equipment, and continued building renovations.
“A year from now, we hope the place is bustling,” with rehearsals, performances, classes and connection, says Lanius.“Honestly, the possibilities are endless.”
