OCPAC in black

The Orange County Performing Arts Center earned a record amount in box office receipts over the last 12 months, with the nonprofit also setting personal records in attendance and charitable donations.

Center officials announced the numbers Thursday afternoon at their annual members meeting. During the 2006-07 fiscal year, the center netted $22.2 million in ticket revenues, due in large part to the opening of two massive new venues: the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in September and the Samueli Theater in October.

In addition to ticket sales, the Center Fund raised a record $10.8 million in contributions from the community, and the center's endowment fund reached a new high of $44.5 million. The total attendance for all performances during the year was 610,632.

For Michael Gordon, chairman of the center's board of directors, it all added up to another profitable year without government support.

"We've had 21 consecutive years in the black, which is a remarkable number for an arts organization," he said.

Center President Terry Dwyer said he was proud not only of the new facilities, but the fact that the center had used them for its new "Free For All" series — which offers entertainment without a fee — and its Summer at the Center program for at-risk teens.

"What we're most excited about is the use of those facilities to launch so many new programs," he said. "We've got a great new building and now we're using it to expand into the community."