We are a community of artists, art lovers, music makers, and creators. The Center for the Arts is most known for hosting national music concerts, but we also feature film screenings, a community theater program (Center Players) and showcase artwork by regional, national, and international visual artists in the art gallery. The Center also hosts classes, workshops and programs throughout the year, and adds to the economic vitality of Central New York. Our facilities are available to other community organizations and individuals for a variety of educational purposes, events and private functions.
200 years after an early group of baptists began the planning that would eventually lead to our building, a small group came together in 2001. The First Baptist Church of Homer had outgrown its space and planned to leave the building. A core group of founders — neighbors and community members — met with church leaders and held meetings to devise a plan to save the old church and create something new for the community. A founder’s group was formally established by volunteers who brought considerable expertise and energy to the challenge. Their mission was to preserve the building as an important part of Homer’s history – and the gateway to the downtown Homer business district, NYS Scenic Route 90, and the Homer Route 281 business district. They recognized that preserving the building was integral to Homer’s significant National and State Historic Register District. They also focused on giving it new community life as an economic, social and cultural anchor on the Village’s Main Street and the historic Village Green. The Center was formally established as a non-profit organization with 501 (c) 3 status in 2003. Many of the original Founders group, supplemented by community members, created a Board of Directors to serve as policy makers and catalyze the grass roots support that was evident since the Center’s first public event in November, 2001. Board members and volunteers contribute services to support functions such as marketing, programming, operations, facilities management and development. Together, Center for the Arts’ volunteers are the true heart, soul, spirit – and hands-on-deck – of the organization, and the reason that the Center is a vibrant, dynamic, efficient and effective community arts center and venue. Volunteers are at the very “center” of the Center for Arts of Homer’s success story over its first decade. The next decade builds on that success story as the Center for the Arts continues to innovate under its new Executive Director, Ty Marshal – who has had extensive experience working with various arts and cultural organizations. Under Ty’s leadership, the Center is focusing on building a sustainable growth strategy focused on programming excellence, expanded offerings and outreach, new audience development, organizational capacity-building and resource development.
