Arts Place

Facility operations - facility management has been a major responsibility for Arts Place, Inc. Since 1983. Arts Place operates three community Arts centers. The jay county campus of Arts Place is located in portland Indiana and also serves as the corporate home for Arts Place. This campus serves jay and surrounding counties in Indiana and Ohio. The auglaize/mercer center of Arts Place is located in st. marys Ohio and serves auglaize, mercer and surrounding counties. The blackford county Arts center located in hartford city Indiana serves blackford and surrounding counties in Indiana.

Arts in the parks - this popular program was launched in 1977 and continues to provide access to the Arts for children during the summer months. Over 16,000 children have participated in the program since its inception. The workshops are designed for children ages six through twelve and provide intensive introductions to specific art-form mediums. Workshops are typically led by professional artists and Arts educators, who are referred to as teaching artists. In june 2023 the program included fourteen communities in five counties in Indiana and Ohio.

Musicworks - drawing the largest number of students in creativeworks is our music instruction program. Inspired by the music settlement movement, Arts Place began this music education program in 1983. Individual and group instruction is available in brass, guitar, harp, percussion, piano, orchestral strings, woodwinds, and voice. Ensembles conducted include percussion, brass, orchestral strings, flute, and community band and choir. Introductory music instruction is available for preschoolers through the first steps class. The program continues to be offered at the blackford county Arts center and the jay county campus of Arts Place.

Governance - oversight of the corporation is provided by the Arts Place corporate board of directors elected by the membership. Local leadership for the auglaize/mercer center and the blackford county Arts center is provided by their individual community boards appointed by the corporate board. The community board makes programming recommendations, provides guidance to the center, and serves as leadership in raising funds for activities in their respective communities.public art - a prominent feature of the jay county campus is its public art. These works include the massive tile relief mural, landscape's legacy by cleveland artist rhonda franklin. This ceramic installation was the result of a three-year project that included over 40 apprentices and volunteers. On the grounds may be found the bronze sculpture autumn by harold "tuck" langland of granger, Indiana. The permanent collection includes several other sculptures, as well as dozens of paintings and woodcuts. A large mural, designed and painted by sarah hess, is located at 207 east spring street in memorial park. This mural project was funded by the Ohio Arts council and was a collaborative effort between Arts Place, the city of st. marys, the st. marys area resource team, the st. marys community improvement corporation, and the st. marys community library. Artworks - this program provides instruction in the visual Arts. Class offerings, for both children and adults, included drawing, printmaking, ceramic hand building, weaving, jewelry making, watercolors, alcohol inks, resin casting, tie dying, sculpture, mask-making, needle felting, quilting, oil painting, ceramic tiles, ceramic wheel throwing, and basket weaving. Instruction was provided at all three of the Arts Place centers. Exhibits - this program is conducted at all three Arts Place centers and often include artists receptions. A year-round schedule of exhibitions is presented at all three centers and includes local/regional and artists from the midwest. The largest space, the hugh n. ronald gallery at the jay county campus, provides a highly flexible exhibition space. Smaller galleries are operated at the blackford and auglaize/mercer centers. Juried art shows were held at the blackford county Arts center and the auglaize/mercer center of Arts Place. Performances - presenting performing artists remains a central part of Arts Place programming. Performances are hosted in hall-moser theatre at the jay county campus of Arts Place and at the hudson family park amphitheater in portland. Performances in blackford county are held at the blackford county Arts center or outdoors at weiler park. Arts outreach activities - Arts Place provides the Arts beyond our physical locations with programming such as Arts in the parks and the grand lake area literature festival. Arts Place is an active participant in each of the communities we serve with collaborations with the school systems, other non-profit organizations, artists, service groups, local government, private citizens, etc.