New arts center in downtown Bradenton is a step closer to reality after $3M donations
Update 6/29/22: ArtCenter Manatee received another $2 million donation from the foundation of Floyd c. Johnson and Charlotte “Flo” Singer Johnson, who were both artists. Also, the Manatee Tourist Development Council has donated $1 million to promote arts in the area.
“These gifts put us closer to our goal and the reality of breaking ground this year. We are extremely grateful for these two gifts,” said Carla Nierman, executive director.
ArtCenter Manatee has announced a $2 million gift to the center’s building campaign from the Steve and Natalee Herrig Family Foundation.
The planned two-story, 28,000-square-foot facility — tentatively scheduled for groundbreaking late this year — will be renamed the Herrig Center for the Arts.
Once the new facility is complete, the existing art center next door at 209 Ninth St. W. , will be razed and the property developed into a community park and sculpture garden to benefit the community.
The current facility was was constructed in 1955, when the population of Bradenton was about 14,000.
Planned for the new facility are one large gallery, nine classrooms, an artisan gift shop, office and storage space and an art library.
Day, evening and weekend art classes for adults and children would be offered year-round in painting, drawing, pastels, pottery, jewelry design, photography and more.
The new center and park will be at the intersection of Ninth Street West and the Avenue of the Arts, formerly Third Avenue West.
“We are grateful for the Herrig’s commitment to the vision of the ArtCenter and its role as the premier visual arts center in Manatee County. A gift of this level will help to move the Center’s campaign forward and will allow us to continue to impact lives through our classes, exhibits and other programming,” Carla Nierman, executive director of the ArtCenter, said in a press release.
The Herrigs, who are Bradenton residents, are committed to the community’s success and say the ArtCenter is central to the cultural life and the development of a destination for the arts.
Steve Herrig, CEO and board chair for Sunz Insurance, which is headquartered in Bradenton, said he is excited to be a part of the project which will change the entrance into Bradenton and welcome residents and visitors.
The total cost of the new ArtCenter building is estimated at $11 million.
“We hope so,” Cathy Mijou, development coordinator, when asked about the proposed groundbreaking later this year.
“Things are costing more and taking longer,” she said of the rise in the cost of construction materials and pandemic supply chain problems.
Plans for the new facility were first announced in 2018.
ArtCenter Manatee hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Friday and Saturday and 9 a.m. -6 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. ArCenter is closed Sunday.
Exhibitions in the galleries change monthly and showcase local, regional and national artists.
For more information or to support this project, contact Carla Nierman or Cathy Mijou at 941-746-2862 or visit ArtCenterManatee.org or LiveArtfully.org.
This story was originally published April 25, 2022 at 12:32 PM.