​Jamestown Arts Center celebrates 60 years

By Sabrina Hornung

sabrina@hpr1.com

In 1974, the Jamestown Arts Center started as a small space above a downtown drugstore. It has grown to host multiple classrooms, a gallery, performance studio, ceramic studio and outdoor art park.

“There were maybe four women who were artists, who just started to get together and paint. They wanted to have a way to display their work,” said former Executive Director Taylor Barnes. “More people joined, so they had this gallery above a drug store downtown.”

“When the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance came into place, they were upstairs and inaccessible,” Barnes continued. “They wanted to get grants and funding, so they realized they needed to change location. So this woman, who was relatively new in town, who was interested in supporting the arts, and I went around and gathered commitments from banks. You know, ‘Would you make a $1,000 a year commitment to help move this location?’ So we got enough money and then we moved to where the current Art Center is.”

Needless to say, they’ve come a long way baby! The Arts Center, which is also known as The Jamestown Fine Arts Association (JFAA), covers the Hanson Arts Park located across the street as well.

“When King Studio burned down on the corner and the space was available, it was like a hole in the ground for years with police tape around,” said Barnes. “I thought this is really an attractive part of Jamestown. And the board of directors said, ‘Hey, let's buy that and make it into a green space.’”

That was in 2007. In 2018 they started a summer downtown arts market featuring live music, local vendors, as well as collaborative community art projects weekly. They’ve also collaborated on a project with Pheasants Forever and Jamestown Tourism by planting native plants and grasses in the space with identifiers. In fact, the sculptures and mosaic art on the benches even serve as an ode to the prairie and community. In 2022, a sprinkler system was installed to ensure it stayed green and lush.

Their latest project is the recent acquisition of the former Wonder Bar next door to The Arts Center. The organization has currently raised $1.6 million out of a $2 million capital campaign to expand into the culinary arts.

“We have an agreement, a memorandum of understanding, with Jamestown Public Schools, because they got a career in tech grant to furnish a culinary kitchen or a line kitchen. So that grant is furnishing our kitchen,” explained Executive Director Mindi Schmitz. “And we had some bumps between what they needed and what we needed for the space, so that's been finalized. Hillerud Construction is in charge, and they're going to let out the bids and in a couple weeks, we'll accept them and we'll go from there.”

“We hope to be in there by the fall of 2025,” Schmitz continued. “That kitchen is also going to be a health certified kitchen, so that cottage farmers can rent the space. And then they can turn around and sell their product in, like, a grocery store or wherever.”

In addition to the construction on the newly acquired former bar space, there are plans to renovate the two upstairs apartments that serve as housing to resident artists. The Arts Center provides a professional artist and supplies during a year-long residency. The resident artist teaches K-5 students enrolled at Jamestown Public Schools and K-8 students at St. John’s Academy. Their current artist-in-residence is 3D artist Anna Brock.

With renovations, expansions and the overall boosting of the central North Dakota art community, The Arts Center has a lot to celebrate. For their 60th anniversary, they have invited artists of all ages, professional or not, to participate in a 6 inch by 6 inch exhibition featuring over 200 pieces that will be up for bid in an online auction from November 11 through November 23. This was all the brainchild of former education director Anna Jacobson.

The Arts Center also hosts community theater events and open mic nights. On November 22-23, the 2nd Act Theater Group presented three performances of the play “Spirit!” by Peg Kehret. The play takes place at the Happy Hollow Rest Home and follows the life and dreams of the colorful characters who reside there. Both 6 p.m. shows offered a dinner theater experience, while the 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday did not.

In addition to gallery and performance space, The Arts Center is home to writing, photography and wood chip clubs, to name a few. It also offers classes for kids and adults.

“We have our cornerstone project program, which is our Arts After School. We did a survey in the 90s that showed that kids really needed to have an alternative to sports, and art was top of the line,” Schmitz added. “So we started our Arts After School program. Right now, that is full to the brim, and we have the cost really low for kids. We provide them transportation from school and home if they live in town, a snack and a professional art class from 2 to 4 p.m. for two to three weeks. We have practically 25 percent of the kids that have scholarships, either 100 percent or partial.”

“We have tremendous support from our business community and our service groups and we have a large membership base. The community respects what we do,” Barnes added. “I think that what the organization has done is bring like minded people together to kind of grow and develop through the arts, providing opportunities for artists to grow as well as community members and kids. You know, it's just such an important asset for the community.”