The mission of The ArtsCenter is to educate and inspire artistic creativity and to enrich the lives of people of all ages Founded in 1974 by painter and entrepreneur, Jacques Menache, The ArtsCenter of Carrboro is a vibrant and dynamic multi-purpose, multi-disciplinary grassroots community arts center. ArtsCenter is a non-profit teaching and presenting organization. The largest employer of artists
in Orange County, NC, it serves more than 80,000 people annually, through classes, studios, concerts, theatre, spoken word, gallery displays, more than 80 school shows, and more. The ArtsCenter exerts a local economic impact exceeding $3,200,000 which generates the equivalent of 103 full time jobs and $301,000 in state and local tax revenue. The ArtsCenter offers several public service programs that provide exposure to and interaction with the community of artists in the area for people of all ages and backgrounds. Programs and services include the ArtsSchool, Children & Family programs, Youth Arts Classes (YAC), AfterSchool Arts Immersion (AAI), concerts, ArtsCenter Stage, and galleries. The ArtsSchool is the most comprehensive nonprofit resource for continuing education in the arts on a non-degree, community level. The program offers over 550 classes to over 2,800 students annually. There are opportunities for students of all ages and all art backgrounds to explore. Some of the classes offered include applied arts, cuisine, dance, digital arts, drawing and design, health and healing arts, jewelry school, painting and mixed media, photography, sculpture and ceramics, theatre, and writing. The Children & Family programs provide youth with experiences and opportunities to express themselves in diverse ways. Children can explore a variety of art forms through the AfterSchool Arts Immersion (AAI) program. The Art-In-Education program provides children with the opportunity to learn from professional artists in a classroom setting. The ArtsCenter’s School Shows offers several shows designed to enrich the school curricula. Families can enjoy the performances of the SuperFun shows throughout the season. The Children & Family program also offers 30-different one to two week summer camps each summer. The Youth Art Class (YAC) program is composed of applied, visual, and fine art classes in a variety of disciplines (drawing, cartooning, painting, sewing, and more) and theatre classes from our Youth Performing Arts Conservatory (including stage combat, improv, and much more) and serves young artists in grades k-12 as well as toddlers. Transportation is also available from select elementary schools on class days. The ArtsCenter also offers a full and part-time AfterSchool Arts Immersion (AAI) program, the only arts-based afterschool program in the area. AAI serves young artists in grades k-5 and features 2 week residencies taught by local professional teaching artists. Transportation, homework assistance, and supervised freeplay are also provided. The ArtsCenter offers a variety of concerts that represent the spectrum of musical genres by local, emerging and nationally touring artists. The ArtsCenter Stage showcases the work of emerging and established artists. The highlight of the season is the 10 by 10 Play Festival, an international festival of ten 10-minute plays. The ArtsCenter features the Center Gallery and the East End Gallery, with 12-shows hosted annually featuring more than 100 artists. Stay in touch with The ArtsCenter via Twitter and YouTube.com/ArtsCenterLive
