Hollywood Art and Culture Center Celebrates 50th Anniversary Year With Opening of New Wing

wgclients01
Nov 16
4 min read

Hollywood Art and Culture Center recently celebrated the culmination of its 50^th anniversary year with a ribbon cutting and unveiling of its Hollywood Arts Hub. The new wing addition to the Center’s historic Kagey Home gallery facility opened to the public on November 2 – exactly 50 years from The Center’s opening in 1975.

Hollywood Art and Culture Center unveiled the addition of the Hollywood Arts Hub to its historic Kagey Home main campus with a grand opening ribbon cutting on November 2.

This special event was attended by local dignitaries and partners including Mayor Josh Levy, City of Hollywood; Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz; Commissioner Caryl Shuham, City of Hollywood; Raelin Story, assistant city manager, City of Hollywood; Jeff Huber, partner, Brooks + Scarpa; Jamey Armstrong, VP, Pirtle Construction; and Phillip Dunlap, director, Broward County Cultural Division.

“The Hollywood Arts Hub has been a labor of love for of many people for over a decade from planning to inception. Our Center team is honored to be the stewards to help people connect, create and communicate through art and cultural experiences,” said Jennifer Homan, executive director of the Hollywood Art and Culture Center. “As we celebrate 50 years of bringing bold exhibitions, education programs and accessible cultural experiences to our region, we’re excited to usher in a new era for the arts in Hollywood.”

From left to right: Tim Curtin, City of Hollywood Commissioner Caryl Shuham, Center Trustee Barbara Marks, City of Hollywood Commissioner Traci Callari, Center Board Chair David Maurer, City of Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy, Max Chira, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Robert Chira, City of Hollywood Assistant City Manager Raelin Story, Alex Iglesias, and Jamey Armstrong

Post ceremony, the public enjoyed complimentary tours, performances, artmaking and more in the new arts education wing. Attendees also were treated to current exhibitions: Dennis Scholl: A Day of Four Sunsets, Felice Grodin: Where do I go from here? and Brian Reedy: Gothic Pop Prints.

Herb Conde-Parlto, Jennifer Homan, Joann Hussey

The new Hollywood Arts Hub now holds the unique architectural distinction in Broward County of having adjoining, functional spaces built 101 years apart. It includes a 110-seat Arts Auditorium, a multi-purpose room for dance, drama, artist talks, film screenings, meeting space and more, the Create More Art Studio, the Digital Media Lab, and the outdoor Imagine Courtyard. This building will be a visual landmark in Downtown Hollywood, drawing residents and visitors to The Center.

The distinctly dramatic and contemporary design by award-winning architectural firm, Brooks + Scarpa, merges with the existing two-story, historic 1924 Mediterranean Revival architecture of the Kagey Home, which houses The Center galleries and administrative offices located at 1650 Harrison Street, just one block from ArtsPark at Young Circle.

Alex Iglesias, Jeffrey Huber, Ramses Terrero, Joe Bickar, Alec Hoadley, Jamey Armstrong

Construction of the Arts Hub was funded by the City of Hollywood through dedicated funding from the 2019 General Obligation Bond that was approved by City voters in a special election. The Pirtle Construction team broke ground on April 30, 2024, and met the opening deadline as planned.

“The City of Hollywood proudly supports art and culture in our city, and this expansion of The Center is a tremendous milestone,” said City of Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy. “People of all ages and backgrounds can experience the arts at this new venue year-round, adding to the number of amazing experiences that can be found in Hollywood.”

The Thunder Beingz play in the newly constructed Imagine Courtyard.

The new Hollywood Arts Hub is built for ongoing learning and exploration. As part of its grand opening, The Center debuted a full lineup of new fall programs including Early Voices, storytelling and artmaking for young children every Saturday; Moms & Masterpieces, weekday program for parents and caregivers to explore the galleries and engage in Meet the Masters artmaking for bigs and littles; Art Workshops, multiple session workshops offered monthly by teaching artists in a variety of mediums; Group Tours, weekly daytime arts program for adults to explore a variety of forms; and Homeschool Programs, new offerings designed for flexible learning through STEAM integration.

The new wing features a 110-seat Arts Auditorium, the Create More Art Studio, a Digital Media Lab, the outdoor Imagine Courtyard, a multi-purpose room for dance, drama, artist talks, film screenings, meeting space and more.

Kids and families enjoy the new Create More Art Studio.

The Center is also launching Create More Art Nights every Thursday from 5:30 to 8 p.m. designed to spark creativity, wellness, and community connection. Each week brings a new theme and a mix of activities.

Upcoming Center events include:

11/15 Art of Wine: US Regions, Food & Wine Series at 2 p.m.
11/15 Hollywood Art Walk Docent Tour at 5 p.m., BOGO Cinema Tickets at 7:30 p.m.
11/16 Free Arts Day from 12 - 4 p.m.
12/4 Cymbeline opening night presented by Thinking Cap Theatre at 7 p.m.*
12/6 Center Sessions, Basketweaving and Capoeira at 1 p.m.
12/12 Stage Kids and ENCORE Present: Hamilton and The Princess & the Frog at 7 p.m.*
12/14 Free Arts Day from 12 - 4 p.m.; Cyanotypes with Pamela Soares
12/20 Hollywood Art Walk Docent Tour at 5 p.m.

* Note: Cymbeline on 12/4 and Stage Kids/ENCORE (12/12) are being presented at the Hollywood Central Performing Arts Center, 1770 Monroe Street, located two blocks from The Center.

Phillip Dunlap, Director of the Broward County Cultural Division, views an artwork from Felice Grodin: Where Do I Go From Here?

“Our Board of Trustees is committed to ensuring a bright future for the next chapter in the Center’s legacy,” said David Maurer, Board Chair of the Hollywood Art and Culture Center. “The timing couldn’t be more ideal – the opening of the Arts Hub marks The Center's 50th anniversary just as the City of Hollywood celebrates its 100th year. We've both come a long way.”

For more information, please visit artandculturecenter.org.

The Center’s programs and events are made possible through support from the City of Hollywood, Broward County Cultural Division, Broward County Board of County Commissioners, Max Chira and Family, Community Foundation Broward, David and Francie Horvitz Family Foundation, Josephine S. Leiser Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, State of Florida Division of Arts and Culture, Memorial Healthcare System, The Windhover Foundation & Quadracci Family, Kofsky Weinger, PA, and Helen Ingham Foundation.