Hello Dear Friends, Lovers of Summerville, and Supporters of the Arts!

Public Works Art Center has had quite a year, and today, we are reflecting on the progress we've made since our early days. From our humble beginnings in 2018 as a group of nine dreamers imagining what the "old town post office/old CPW building" could one day be, to raising over $400,000 from the community in 2019 (thanks, founding and early donors!), to renovating the building and finally opening our doors in February of 2020 (three weeks before a global pandemic put the brakes on...well, everything), to today, when many of our deeply held hopes and dreams we shared in 2018 have come true. Our visions for this space have become a reality, thanks to a lot of hard work from our staff, board, and volunteers; shared passion for our sweet town and for togetherness; determination through obstacles and setbacks; and the unrelenting support of our community.

If you're still learning about us, Public Works Art Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit community art space in Downtown Summerville, steps from restaurants, shops, and parks. We place a high value on accessibility, breaking down barriers to the arts for all, and cultivating a positive space for our entire community to feel welcome, included, seen, represented, and respected. With free admission, three exhibition galleries that feature completely new shows every eight weeks, twelve studio artist spaces, three classrooms and a pottery studio featuring classes for all ages, and so much more, Public Works Art Center is an incredible (FREE!) amenity to the town of Summerville, its visitors, and its residents.

DID YOU KNOW?

Public Works Art Center is a standalone 501(c)3 nonprofit; this means we are not part of the Town of Summerville's annual budget, the Commissioners of Public Works, or any other local entity. We are funded by grants, class and camp fees, gift shop purchases, art sales, and donations from supporters like you!
In 2023, we completed a multi-year accessibility overhaul, installing an interior elevator/lift, an exterior ramp, and a new paved access road to the ramp, so our building is finally fully accessible to everyone, regardless of ability! This project was not required; our lack of ADA accessibility was "grandfathered in" to be allowed, but we felt it extremely important that Public Works Art Center be fully accessible to all people. The project cost $126,000, and was paid for with grants, sponsorships, and meaningful donations as small as $1! Every little bit helped!
This year, with the assistance of the South Carolina Arts Commission and the John and Carolyn Peterson Foundation, we were able to establish scholarship funds for our summer camps and our art classes, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their ability to pay full price, is able to receive quality arts education at Public Works Art Center.
Public Works Art Center is on track to welcome 25,000+ visitors (all enjoying free admission) through our doors in 2023!
We work hard to ensure that there is always something new and free for people of all ages to see and do, enabling Summerville residents and visitors to always have access to crever-changing indoor activity. This year, we unveiled a free scavenger hunt that takes place throughout the building (while sharing the history of the space), and a new all-ages activity is provided for every new round of exhibitions.
We featured over 500 local artists at Public Works Art Center this year, including 170 in our "open to all" SPARK exhibition, over 300 in our student and local educator exhibitions, and dozens more in our group and emerging artist exhibitions. Everyone, no matter their experience, age, or medium, has a chance to exhibit work at Public Works Art Center each year.
Public Works Art Center educated over 795 students in 2023, including 290 summer campers! Mediums included oil painting, stained glass, needle felting, pottery, drawing, sweetgrass basket making, candle making, yoga, charcoal drawing, homeschool classes, teen classes, adult classes, and so much more!
We partner with Dorchester District 2, DD2 Fine Arts Department, and the DD2 Foundation to connect artists with students through an "Artist in Residence" program, serve as a field trip destination for local schools, and provide students with multiple opportunities to showcase their work in our galleries annually. We also partner with other local nonprofits including HEART Inclusive Arts, Beyond Basic, Summerville Orchestra, South Porch Artist Residency, Free Verse Poetry Festival, and more!
We know we are biased, but we believe we have the best board of directors this side of the Mississippi (and probably the other side, too)! They've worked with our stellar staff members to create a 3-year strategic plan, with pillars of Community Enrichment, Financial Security, and Sustainability. These pillars will inform our actions as we work to enhance our offerings and cement our place in the community moving forward.
In 2024, we will be unveiling a photography darkroom, a brand-new renovated East Gallery, and plan to take our outreach vehicle "Artie the Artmobile" into multiple communities where transportation to the art center may be more of an issue. We have so many other exciting things planned to cultivate culture and togetherness in Summerville, and cannot wait to share it all!
We would not be anywhere close to where we are today without the support of our community.

Public Works Art Center needs your support.

Donations allow us to continue offering free admission to every member of our community, to provide opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to create and engage with art, and enable us to pay for necessary items like art supplies and exhibition expenses. In truth, donations help us "keep the lights on" so we can continue serving as Summerville's cultural and community hub. Every donation is met with exclamations of joy and gratitude from our team, and money raised goes right back into the organization.

Thank you for considering donating this year. Thank you for believing in us. Thank you for understanding the value of community and connection. Thank you for your support.

With so much gratitude,

Jana Riley
Executive Director
Public Works Art Center

P.S. - If you cannot financially support us at this time, would you please share this page with someone you know? We would be so grateful!

INACTIVE: Support Downtown Summerville's FREE Community Art Center!

By Public Works Art Center

INACTIVE: Support Downtown Summerville's FREE Community Art Center!

Your gift will help us continue cultivating arts, culture, togetherness, and connection for ALL, with free admission always!