Everyone has a creative side to them and many love to express that creative side. Whether you enjoy viewing professionally made art or would like to create your own, the Mansfield Art Center offers exhibits, events, and activities for all ages to explore.
The Mansfield Art Center keeps art fresh to enjoy by utilizing a travelling exhibits system. Travelling exhibits are on display for 1-3 months at time, and usually holds 6-8 travelling exhibits a year. An exhibitions committee selects exhibits by recommendation, while other times they discover an artist that makes a valuable addition to the schedule.
In addition to the 6-8 travelling exhibits, the Art Center presents 2 annual events a year. The first of these is the May Show. The event consists of works from artists across the state of Ohio. Each year a new judge is chosen to decide what art pieces make it into the event, so that the event represents different tastes. For the 2017 May Show, 431 art pieces were submitted and 176 pieces were accepted representing over 90 local artists.
The Art Center hosts their second annual event, The Holiday Fair, from November 18th until the end of December. Lots of Ohio artists are cosigned for the event, with numerous artists setting up displays. Many art pieces and one-of-a-kind gifts are available for purchase, great for the holiday season. The Holiday Fair also includes the December Soup au’ Fair event. Local businesses donate soup to the center, which then can be bought by visitors as they stroll the show. All the proceeds go to the Mansfield Art Center.
The Art Center offers classes for a fee. The center teaches 6-8 week day classes for children as well as adults. The topics range from painting, to ceramics, jewelry making, and more. One day workshops are also hosted for those not looking for a lengthy commitment. The gallery provides workshops for children, as well as fieldtrips and is always looking to offer opportunities for schools. The Mansfield Art Center offers adult activities such as their Cork and Easel event where adults can follow step-by-step painting instructions as they enjoy a glass of wine.
The Mansfield Art Center is a non-profit organization with free admission to the public for most exhibits. The center largely relies on donations to maintain operations. The center has a small staff to keep things going smoothly with only 3 full-time employees and 2 part-time employees. Over 100 volunteers offer their time and hard work to help the Mansfield Art Center. The Mansfield Art Center offers a variety of activities and events to the community and is a large asset to the surrounding area.
Written by Seth Ansell, Destination Mansfield – Richland County Intern