ArtCenter South Florida

The mission of ArtCenter/South Florida is to support artists and advance the knowledge and practice of contemporary visual arts and culture in South Florida. ArtCenter has been a central part of the South Florida arts community for over 30 years and it continues to re-invent itself and stay current to better serve the needs of both the community and artists.

In 1984, with help from Community Development Block Grant funds from the City of Miami Beach, the ArtCenter was created.  In keeping with its mission to support art in the Miami Beach area, the ArtsCenter invited artists to take up residence in twenty-one abandoned storefronts on Lincoln Road.  As the 80s progressed, ArtCenter’s founder Ellie Schneiderman raised funds to buy three other buildings on Lincoln Road in order to establish a base for the organization. Thus, ArtCenter established a resident artist program and has since provided studio residencies and exhibition opportunities to more than 1,000 visual artists. ArtCenter also provides art classes and outreach programs for the community.

Today, ArtCenter is credited as being the catalyst for the revitalization of Lincoln Road and the surrounding area.  The center prides itself in being one of the few institutions in South Florida that grans free admission to all of its exhibitions and other public programming in an effort to make the arts accessible to all.  It also provides art classes and outreach programs for the community.  Approximately 100,000 visitors come to the ArtCenter every year. 

"Mission/History." ArtCenter South Florida. Accessed on December 23, 2015. http://www.artcentersf.org/mission-history/