Jim Wortham was a crucial driving force in the restoration of
the historic Sweetwater Municipal Auditorium, and his legacy
inspires us to renew our commitment to the vision that he laid
out for us. Jim was an artist, an actor, a technician, a
strategist. He was also a beloved husband, son, brother,
father, and friend to an extended family of those who shared his
too-short life.
Jim set a tone for the ongoing spirit and character of
revitalizing a regional performing arts center. Jim taught us
that the effort was about more than architecture or history or
scripts for their own sake. Jim always saw a sum of the parts
that reached beyond the next show or the next upgrade. Jim
inspired us to see that the ongoing project is about
architecture and history and the scripts that people will
continue to bring it to life. The auditorium is about music and
the individual creativity that makes it, about a venue for
learning and experimenting and sharing. Since the beginning,
the auditorium has served as a central link between Sweetwater
and the wider world of entertainment, culture, and exchange.
Through the renovation project, the auditorium serves as an
anchor for the wider revitalization of Sweetwater and the West
Texas region.
Jim gave us a legacy. Jim showed us a vision. We have work
left to be done.
