2001 ushered in a new millennium. In the arts and entertainment world, avant-garde was having a moment, Apple launched iTunes, and the popular musical “The Last Five Years” had its Chicago debut. Closer to home, 2001 was the year that gave us the Chesapeake Arts Center (CAC). Now in its 25th year, the CAC has firmly established itself as a creative home for all ages in North Anne Arundel County and beyond, offering arts education, exhibits, and performances for mainstream and niche interests.
“We’re trying to make sure we are meeting people where they are and breaking down barriers,” says Donna Anderson, the center’s executive director. “People say, ‘Oh, I’m not an artist,’ but one of the things we like to say is that everybody can be an artist and everybody is an artist. Everybody can do art — it’s about the process, not the product.”
This community-minded approach to art and creativity is likely what has made CAC so successful. The facility, once Brooklyn Park High School, underwent a major renovation in the late ̕ 90s to turn it into a community complex with the vision of providing enrichment opportunities to a part of the county that lacked them. Chesapeake Arts Center, as an official nonprofit, was established in January 2001. The center opened its doors and has been open ever since.
Arts Is For All
Those who’ve never been inside the center might find themselves surprised. Just off Ritchie Highway, the 58,000-square-foot multidisciplinary facility has all the professional-quality resources a community could wish for: two professional theaters (a 750-seat main stage and a 120-seat black box), two gallery spaces, a makerspace lab and studios for rehearsals and classes.
What makes this professional-level facility so special though is that there’s no gatekeeping involved. It’s for all ages, all abilities, all experience levels. Since the beginning, CAC’s mission has always been to ensure access to the arts for all residents who might not otherwise have an opportunity to participate.
“We have had scholarships for our programs and our classes for at least 15 years,” Anderson says. “If they don’t have the financial resources to afford those classes, they can take them for free or at very reduced fees.” These scholarships are made possible through grants and community partnerships.
CAC also makes a point of offering free programming, from gallery exhibitions and family workshops to community events. This approach further breaks down the financial barriers that might otherwise hinder a child from discovering a love of the arts or a senior from finding new community in creating.
Beyond access, Anderson sees the arts as essential to personal well-being and community connection. When people take advantage of the CAC’s programming, they get a chance to leave stress at the door and focus on a creative project. They also form bonds with those who share their interests. “I’ve seen opportunities for connection, and easing of mental health issues and providing people with opportunities to find joy,” she says.
In this way, art becomes a relief from daily challenges. “Art provides that respite where you just come and create,” Anderson continues. “There’s no rules.”
New Growth
Looking ahead, the Chesapeake Arts Center plans to expand its reach beyond its walls. Anderson says there are efforts to “take the arts out on the road” through partnerships and off-site programming. The goal is to ultimately remind residents that creativity belongs to everyone. Because even with 25 years of enriching the community, CAC isn’t slowing down. Instead, the team at the center is always looking for new, fresh ways to keep its programming relevant and reach more people.
The center’s latest expansion efforts are both in terms of vision and geographics. The first part is bringing arts into the community directly. For example, CAC launched an Art Exchange Box initiative that constructs and places boxes at community sites through Anne Arundel County. These boxes contain both artwork and art supplies, and people are invited to “take art and leave art” as they wish. It’s free, accessible and interactive.
Local partnerships are also expanding CAC’s footprint. Outreach workshops now take place at community centers, and collaborations with schools and other nonprofits are helping CAC share its programs with audiences who may not yet know about the center.
“We are meeting people where they are,” Anderson says.
Celebrating 25
To celebrate 25 years, CAC has a slate of events planned for the year, most notably its fifth annual World Art Day festival April 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the main arts building. It’s a free, family-friendly festival with live performances, hands-on workshops, gallery exhibitions, local artists, maker demonstrations, food trucks, raffles, door prizes and an array of vendors. In short, it’s a day to stop by to see what the center has to offer while discovering all the local talent that exists in the community.
There will also be a Light & Legacy: 25th Anniversary Exhibition in the center’s Gomer and Barland Galleries beginning June 24 and running through Aug. 30. This special exhibition will showcase the many past artists who have worked with the CAC and grown alongside it — artists working in oil, photography, ceramics, woodworking, textiles, mixed media, watercolor and acrylic.
Check out the full lineup of 25th anniversary events at chesapeakearts.org/cac-25th-anniversary-events. There’s even an opportunity for anyone — yes, maybe even you — who’s worked with the Chesapeake Arts Center to share a story in celebration of the 25th anniversary. This is an opportunity to talk about a class you’ve taken, a performance you saw or a friendship you formed. Send it to the center’s artistic director, Nicole Caracia, at [email protected], and you might see it shared.
CAC might have started as a simple revitalization project to fill a need, but it has expanded to prove that creativity and connection are vital to a thriving community.
