ArtReach Alliance
Background and Purpose
ArtReach Alliance (ArtReach), founded in 1992, is one of Stillwater's oldest arts organizations. Its mission is to provide, enhance and promote arts experiences throughout the greater Stillwater area community.
ArtReach is a membership based arts organization with a membership composed of artists, arts organizations and arts businesses. They work to provide professional development (i.e. marketing and skill building) and exposure opportunities for their members, while focusing on organizing arts experiences that bring their members to the community, and the community to the arts.
They are a disseminator of arts resources and information and they host numerous visual, music and literary arts events. In addition, they work in the Stillwater schools and with at-risk youth at a local housing development.
In 2006, ArtReach served over 200 artists, 30 arts organizations, 6,000 students and 15,000 community members. They have three part-time employees led by a board of six community members.
Current Request
Despite an abundance of artists and arts activities, the Stillwater area does not have dedicated space for art and culture.
Five years ago, a feasibility study was conducted about the need for a center. At the time, the Armory building was identified as a potential site. With changes in military needs, that plan needed to be dropped. However, the need still existed as evidenced by strong community interest.
Meetings were held at the beginning of 2007 and a community member stepped forward with a proposal to develop a building that he purchased specifically for this purpose. When he died, his estate dictated that the building would be sold to ArtReach for a community art center. The estate also planned to gift ArtReach $200,000 toward the purchase and renovation of the building upon signing of the Purchase Agreement.
The century-old building is located in the heart of the historic district of Stillwater across the street from the newly refurbished library. The facility would be renovated to include gallery space, art classrooms, studios, meeting space and administrative offices for ArtReach as well as other small arts organizations in the area.