BRADENTON, Fla. — ArtCenter Manatee is home to hundreds of artists perfecting and beginning their craft.
The 10,000 square feet center is located right off 9th Street and 3rd Avenue, close to downtown Bradenton.
The nonprofit has been in Manatee County for 85 years. There are all kinds of classes offered here, including jewelry making, pottery, painting, drawing and everything in between.
There are 400 classes a year offered.
Also on display throughout the property is artwork from regional artists. These galleries change every single month, so there's always something new to see and experience.
In their gift shop, you can find all handcrafted items from local and regional artists.
Carla Nierman, Executive Director of ArtCenter Manatee, said the demand for classes and programming here is continuing to grow.
"Our community is demanding they want more from us. So we realized we had to do an expansion," she said. "After much research, we determined we had to build a new building. So we are currently in a capital campaign for a new building. We are doubling our square footage. We are tripling our pottery department, tripling our kids area."
ArtCenter Manatee hopes to raise $12 million to expand to a two-story, 23,000-square feet building right next door.
The expansion would allow them the opportunity to host more classes for kids and adults.
"We are so well supported by our community. We find there are a lot of creatives who come to this coastal area to create and to enjoy art," Nierman said. "And I think because it's such a warm and friendly place, people like to come and stay and hang out."
You can read more about their classes and programming and about their capital campaign to expand by clicking here.
