Sweetwater Center for the Arts started small, as big things so often do, as a community project that offered fine arts and crafts classes for residents of the suburbs west of Pittsburgh. As the years passed, they earned nonprofit status and certified teaching institute status, and that's when Sweetwater emerged as a full-service arts education facility.
Now, 35 arts-filled years later, the Sweetwater center serves more than 11,000 people annually through classes, outreach programs, scholarship opportunities, exhibitions, and cultural experiences.
Their range of outreach is broad. It includes the
Mavuno Festival of African American Art and Culture (held in Sept. and Oct. each year, offering art exhibitions, an artist-in-residence program, lectures, workshops for children and jazz performances all at affordable prices) and the Creative Summer Experience (a joint venture with
The Sewickley Community Center that offers kids ages 6-12 from all socioeconomic backgrounds a full-day multicultural art camp that explores the vitality and history of cultures from around the globe).
The center also offer additional after-school and summer programs for at-risk youth, art programs for adult daycare participants, community service opportunities, and contributes to a variety of festivals.
To celebrate these 35 years of accomplishment, and to help fund the years ahead, Sweetwater will host a gala fundraiser at Allegheny Country Club on Apr. 17. Along with dinner and dancing, the evening will include an art auction showcasing the creative work done at the center.
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here.Writer: Melissa Rayworth
Source: Abby Balik, Sweetwater Center for the Arts
Image courtesy of Sweetwater Center for the Arts