Center for the Arts: 1992-present
“Our mission is to enhance the quality of life in our community by providing a variety of arts which will educate and entertain people of all ethnicity, ages, and income levels."
Center for the Arts Mission Statement
In 1992, the future of 110 West College Street was unclear. Local theater and art groups campaigned to convert the building into an arts center. With Mayor Joe B. Jackson and the community’s approval, the Center for the Arts (CFTA) was established in 1995. The conversion to an arts center required a major renovation that preserved key features of the historic structure, which is still an important cultural cornerstone of the community.
Since the mid-1990s, CFTA volunteers and staff have sustained the CFTA as an important venue for local artists, community theater, and youth education. Today, the Center enhances community life with a wide variety of programs, productions, and exhibits.
Playbill for Our Town
Our Town opened to glowing reviews in February of 1996. Although the CFTA opened had a grand opening in December 1995, Our Town was the Center’s first theatrical production. It was a perfect opener because of its reflection of small town history, community, and progression.
An image of the playbill for ‘Our Town’.
Courtesy of Tom Harris
Theater
The Center for the Arts features a wide variety of theatrical shows for families and adults, including productions with diverse styles and content. The Center also partners with local groups to bring their performances to the stage.
Gallery
A series of ten color images depicting a wide array of the Center’s theatrical productions.
The Center for the Arts hosts several different kinds of exhibits, from the Dead Sea Scrolls to an annual high county wide art competition. Focusing on local artists to highlight the talent in our community, the Center partners with the Murfreesboro Art League and Stones River Craft Association.
A color photograph of Center for the Arts’ sign describing art gallery opening.
Courtesy of the Center for the Arts
A color photograph of three women holding their paintings from an art show.
Courtesy of the Center for the Arts
Education
The Center for the Arts offers a range of different youth education programs, including Center Stage Academy, Spring Break Spotlight, and Summer Splash. The CFTA also partners with other non-profits and organizations for broader reach and impact, such as YEAH! and the Boy Scouts of America.
A series of six images depicting the Center’s various children’s activities including educational programs and theatrical performances.
Volunteers paint the front of the Center for the Arts building.
Courtesy of the Center for the Arts
Volunteers
The Center for the Arts could not succeed without the generosity of dedicated volunteers. Virtually every aspect of the Center’s operations depends on hundreds of volunteers every year. The CFTA gains its strength and energy from the support of the community and our rotating cast of volunteers who make the Center a vibrant and lively place.
Is the Center for the Arts...haunted?
Some claim the Center for the Arts has supernatural guests. Others are skeptical. Click here to learn more about a paranormal investigation at the Center for the Arts!