Youth Education is at the core of our programming and mission at The ArtsCenter.  Although many programs take place in schools, most take place at The ArtsCenter.  We celebrate the generations of learners that have participated in Youth programs at our present facility over the last 40 years and we see the new building as an opportunity to build on this legacy.

The new Youth Center will:

• Have kid-friendly classrooms accommodating learners in grades K-12
• Better meet increasing demand for ArtsCamp and AfterSchool programs
• Create an ideal environment for youth arts learning experiences

The ArtsCenter’s new facility will prominently feature a maker space: a unique laboratory that is being designed by artists, for artists. In addition to being used for classes, this maker space will be accessible to the public. Our goal is to have a lab where artists familiar with traditional forms can use cutting-edge technology to enhance their creative potential by combining new tools with their existing knowledge base. We are working with our partners at UNC to design a space that is not just about the equipment, but about creating an environment where artists can use these new tools to create new artistic forms and enhance their practice.

• We are creating templates of how 3D printing can be used by ceramists to create models and molds for new work
• We are talking with craft artists about how a variety of laser cutters could be used to create patterns and increase precision in production
• We are meeting with fabric artists to discuss how CAD software and digital sewing machines can be used in fashion design and help with product design and production
• We are learning about AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality) and how they can be used by illustrators and cartoonists to build 3D models and create immersive content and audience experiences

Our new home will enable us to extend our vision to include the intersection between art and nature.  The 1.3 acre site includes a wooded area and stream that will parallel the building and provide:

• Opportunities for a play area for youth
• An outdoor classroom where visual artists can practice plein air painting or botanical illustration
• A laboratory to explore how the arts are inspired by nature and scientific principles, and how our perceptions of nature can be informed by the arts
• Opportunities for dialogue about our role as artists and citizens in understanding and protecting our environment

The ArtsCenter has always been a lively place operating year-round, seven days a week—a home where people come together to enjoy and participate in music, dance, theater, digital arts, ceramics and fabric arts, and the intersections between these disciplines.  It is a place where people can express themselves, feel connected and engaged.

• The new site provides the organization an opportunity to flourish as a community center for the arts. Our new location on Jones Ferry Road is close to a moderate-income neighborhood that is the heart of Carrboro’s Latino community. This location enables The ArtsCenter to create a stronger bond with the Latino community and practice the principles of diversity and inclusion that are essential to the work we do every day.
• The new location is on a major bus line and a highway linking Chatham, Orange and Durham counties. This makes the site conveniently accessible to patrons from all over our region. Our programs currently attract audience from every county in North Carolina, as well as beyond our state, and this new location will support our role as an essential regional center where artists of all ages, skill levels, and interests can build their skills and participate in the arts.