MANSFIELD – The Mansfield Art Center’s Art Rising Campaign has raised more than $2.8 million to fund a large education wing, a pavilion for events and rentals, and renovations to its existing building on Marion Avenue.
“We exceeded our campaign goal of about $2.7 million, and we are very fortunate that we did. Several components of our project will cost more than our initial estimate in 2017,” said George Whitten, executive director. “This was our art center’s first major capital campaign, and donors have been pleased with our expansion and renovation plans.”
The campaign was initiated last May by Chairwoman Chriss Harris and concluded late last year with major gifts from the funds of the Richland County Foundation ($140,000), the Hire Family Foundation ($50,000), and the Sterkel Fund ($50,000). The State of Ohio’s grant of $750,000 toward the education wing was the largest pledge received during the Art Rising Campaign.
The second largest gift ($600,000) from the Taylor family is coming from the Richard G. and Helen Taylor Fund of the Richland County Foundation and from the Taylor Family Foundation Fund of the Ashland County Community Foundation.
“Our Art Rising campaign was blessed with donors who gave from $10 to $750,000, and those contributors obviously appreciate our community’s unique and inspiring art center and its important cultural role in the development of the Mansfield area,” Harris said.
Other than those already mentioned, Art Rising contributors of $50,000 or more include the Robert and Esther Black Foundation Fund of the Richland County Foundation (RCF), the Robert and Esther Black Foundation of PNC Bank in Cleveland, the Fran and Warren Rupp Fund of the RCF, the Gorman Family Foundation, Margaret and the late Joel Black, Richard Landers and Arline Landers Foundation, and Mechanics Bank.
The art center’s newsletter this month will feature the names of all Art Rising donors.
“We are most grateful to each of our donors for seeing our vision and supporting our cause,” Whitten said.
Adena Corporation of Mansfield has been selected as the general contractor for the construction of the art center’s Art Rising projects, and Dan Seckel of the Seckel Group of Mansfield is the lead architect. David Thompson of Perspectus Architecture in Cleveland created the original architectural renderings and is consulting on the project.
Considered among the best architecturally-designed buildings in Ohio, the Mansfield Art Center was recognized nationally for Architect Dan Hisaka’s original design when it opened in 1971. Seckel and Thompson plan to create a building addition that complements, not replicates, the late Hisaka’s work.
The art center’s new 4,800-square-foot education wing will provide more room for art classes, a lab for individual creativity, office and storage space, and a “hot zone” for the teaching of high-fire ceramics and glass art creation using new university level kilns, glass blowing and casting equipment, and advanced techniques.
In conjunction with Mansfield City Schools, a new after-school art program called Tyger STEAM will incorporate science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) into the teaching of ceramics and glass art.
“That gives us STEAM,” Whitten said.
Tyger STEAM will start in the fall of 2020.
Adjacent to the art center will be a new, large pavilion. It will provide ample, covered seating in a park-like setting for events like art shows, parties, entertainment, weddings, receptions, and other feature activities.
“As part of our Art Rising project, we decided to not only enlarge our arts footprint here but to also renovate and repair certain areas of our existing building,” Whitten said.
The renovations include a new kitchen, new restrooms, window repairs, improving the lighting, and adding a new sound system to the main gallery.
The art center will remain open, for the most part, during the construction of the Art Rising projects. Construction will begin by June and conclude in the summer of 2020.
To kick off the 2019 art center’s exhibition season this weekend, “Scary Toys, Beasts, Bugs & Jugs” will offer paintings by both Chrissy Donahue and Richard Donahue and their historical pottery collection of faces. At the same time, a second exhibition called “The Light of Freedom” by Karen Hampton will feature fiber artwork from the artist’s abolitionist series in conjunction with next month’s Black History Month. These exhibitions are sponsored by Taylor Metal Products Co. of Mansfield.
Exhibits at the art center are free and open to the public, thanks to sponsors who underwrite them and the Ohio Arts Council. Hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesdays through Sundays.
