Published Tuesday, May 06, 2008 3:26 PM
Updated Tuesday, May 06, 2008 3:27 PM

 

Arts alliance explores community art needs

Talks about the feasibility of an arts center for Summerville continued last week with a report from Barbara Hill who has been visiting thriving arts centers in other S.C. cities.

Representatives from Sumerville’s various arts groups and a member of Town Council came together to hear the report and to discuss ideas for what would work in Summerville.

Hill, who had most recently visited Sumter, brought photos of  the former Sumter High School, now transformed to an arts center that she described as the Sumter County Cultural Arts Center.

They renovated the high school, added a new façade and now they have rooms for, an auditorium that seats 1,000 and a small auditorium, that seats about 1up to 125.

“The theater also has a prop room, costume room,” Hill said. The renovation from school to arts center was made in 1987.”

Hill also visited Creative Spark, a school in Mount Pleasant which features an arts infused curriculum.

“They have classes for everyone – from infancy through their dotage,” Hill said. “They have everything from babies crawling to rhythms and music, to little old men schulpting.”

Town Councilman Bob Jackson indicated that the biggest hurdles was getting the building and then the funding. “We have to get enough people interested to make it a go,” Jackson said. “We need people from the arts, the county, the town and the business community. All the parties need to meet to decide what the community needs.”

Jackson proposed considering a mixed business and arts facility that is near downtown.

“We have to balance our quality of life,” Hill said.

Poet Ellen Hyatt suggested finding who facilitates turning visualizations into a real working plan to help the community move forward with a concept.

Betty Settle suggested contacting the arts commission to inquire about any possible grants that might be available.

Contact Judy Watts at 873-9424 or jwatts@journalscene.com.