Mission
The Coleman Center for the Arts is a contemporary arts organization that uses art to foster positive social change, answer civic needs, build local pride, and use creativity for community problem solving. By nurturing and facilitating partnerships between artists and community we strive to create the vision and the means for a creative and sustainable society. Our mission is to integrate contemporary art into education, civic life, and community development throughout our region.
History and Programs
The Coleman Center was founded in 1985 through the grassroots efforts of local citizens, and programs have evolved to answer the needs of the community. Its work is done through five main programmatic arms: arts education for area youth and adults; a community-based artists’ residency that produces socially engaged public art projects and events; exhibitions that feature the work of regional artists; a free, public community garden that promotes small-scale food production; and Pop Start, a storefront space for artists-community experimentation.
Supporters
The Coleman Center is supported by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Education Foundation of America, the Alabama State Council on the Arts, the Daniel Foundation of Alabama, the Sumter County Fine Arts Council, the Support the Arts License Tag Committee, Prystup Packaging Products, ArtPlace America, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation (LANE),Ruth Foundation for the Arts, Wellspring Philanthropic Fund, Black Belt Community Foundation, the National Performance Network, and the generous contributions of individual supporters.