By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer
Thirty-five years ago, Jacques Menache started a drawing class in the space above what is now Armadillo Grill in downtown Carrboro. The class was popular, and eventually grew into multiple classes, which moved to Carr Mill Mall to support the expansion.
The programs quickly became a favorite within the surrounding communities, and today that single drawing class has grown into a center that attracts more than 65,000 participants a year as The ArtsCenter.
The ArtsCenter, which moved to its current location on East Main Street in 1996, has become a comprehensive center for arts, creativity and community, focusing on education, performance and education through its many offerings.
To mark the 35th anniversary of The ArtsCenter this weekend, center staff and ArtsCenter regulars plan to celebrate with Cirque des Artes, a Parisian-style street festival and gala on Saturday.
The event is not purely celebration, however, as the recession has led to a reduction in ArtsCenter funding of more than $100,000 this year.
Cirque des Artes is part of The ArtsCenter’s $350,000 fundraising campaign, Keeping Arts Centered, which kicked off in April and continues through July. The drive to raise money to fund a long list of needs, including a new sound system for the theater and repairs to the building’s sprinkler system, has raised about $80,000 thus far.
About 80 percent of The ArtsCenter’s $1.6 million budget is funded through program and class fees; the remaining 20 percent comes from grants, local government and donations.
The ArtsCenter gives back what it receives from the community in various ways, ArtsCenter director Ed Camp said.
The center offers 550 classes annually and presents 24 theatrical productions and 75 musical performances a year, along with other events like children and family programs and gallery exhibits.
“It makes us one of the most comprehensive arts centers in the country,†Camp said. But, he added, “There is a price tag to offering these programs…. The facility needs to match the quality of these programs.â€
Camp said the existence of The ArtsCenter allows a wide variety of offerings – including everything from aerial dance and pottery to improv and painting – to be housed under one roof. For example, The ArtsCenter’s after-school program for kids focuses on “a little bit of everything,†Camp said, including classes on clowning, which covers everything “from how to do your makeup to how to throw a pie.
“The ArtsCenter exists to house these programs,†he said.
Camp said that, unfortunately, arts programs tend to be among those first cut from budget rosters when times are tight. Supporting the arts, though, he said, is not just supporting programs; it’s supporting the careers of local artists.
“We’re an important source of income for a lot of artists,†he said, adding that The ArtsCenter supports not only the 75 artists who teach at the center but others who display art there or use the center in other ways.
“Arts really are a part of economic development in the area,†Camp said.
It’s been six or seven years since any major work has been done to The ArtsCenter, and the facilities are starting to show their age, Camp said.
“It’s the equivalent of buying a house and not putting anything in it for seven years,†he said.
Staff started compiling a list of needed improvements in November of last year and finished in March.
“These are things that we’ve actually gone out and quoted,†he said. “We can’t do anything without the HVAC system. We can’t do anything with a leaky roof.â€
The Saturday event will feature an outdoor festival with street theater, music and family fun from noon to 4 p.m., as well as an evening cocktail party with music by the Triangle Jazz Band and a silent auction from 8 to 11 p.m.
The outdoor festival will be pay-as-you-go, while tickets for the evening party are $50 per person or $75 per couple, available in advance or at the door.
For tickets, to donate or for more information, visit ArtsCenterLive.org or call 929-2787, ext. 201.
Thank you Ms. Dickson for a feature that sums us up so well. We’ve got room at The ArtsCenter for hundreds of people in the parking lot to see DaShawn Hickman & Steel Moven (a.k.a. the famed Allen Boys) and The Lasting Happiness for free. Room for hundreds to hear and dance to Triangle Jazz Orchestra tomorrow evening! At the evening auction someone is going to win a week vacation at Wrightsville Beach.
Concerts & Facility Director
The ArtsCenter