Over the past five years or so, the Mauldin Cultural Center has grown from an almost always empty to an almost always full venue. Since 2010 we have grown from about 10,000 visitors to almost 30,000 annually. With over 450 hours of arts instruction every year, over 100 lessons/classes every month, and a reach that stretches from Georgia to North Carolina – if one thing is certain it is that Mauldin’s arts community is growing right alongside the rest of the Upstate.
As with all growth, new needs emerge. Out of the growth at the Mauldin Cultural Center and the entire Mauldin area, the community has developed a need for a much broader arts service – a community leader in all things arts-related, not solely related to one facility or one program, but rather throughout the community. And that’s just what we’ve created.
Recently, the City of Mauldin approved the creation of a new Office of Cultural Affairs. The Office of Cultural Affairs [OCA] is charged with managing and developing the cultural assets of the City, promoting the arts in Mauldin, and providing leadership, guidance and various resources to the cultural community in Mauldin. The Office of Cultural Affairs will be focused on the entire community – not merely one facility or one program. Wherever the OCA can promote the arts, it will do so. Whether it’s working with a school art program, hosting a free concert at the Cultural Center, or working with an artist on a site-specific work – the OCA will be there for the community.
The OCA is based out of the Mauldin Cultural Center and also has taken over all management of the facility and its programs. Led by the same staff, the Cultural Center will become an even greater tool for community enhancement as the focus shifts from individual programs to the big picture. The OCA envisions a community where artists, arts organizations, businesses, residents and visitors all have access to not only high quality arts experientes such as concerts and theatre, but also access to resources, information, training and assistance. Imagine your neighborhood puts on its own festival, but looks for guidance navigating City codes, artist recruitment or just a second opinion. Or think about a seventh grade history teacher looking for a way to incorporate the arts into their lesson. Or envision a community-wide festival that attracts people from all over the state and region to enjoy all that Mauldin has to offer. That’s what the Office of Cultural Affairs is here for – to assist the community in creating a vibrant and arts-friendly environment.
Beginning this week, you will see small, progressive changes to this website and other items (for instance, the OCA and Cultural Center will be using the City of Mauldin’s new logo). It is important to note that all currently scheduled events will remain the same – none of our programs will change for the remainder of 2013. All concerts, classes and rentals will continue as scheduled. And as we look forward to 2014, essentially all of our programs will also remain in place at the Mauldin Cultural Center.
Stay tuned for more details as we develop current programs and launch new ones.
We are excited about these changes and look forward to having an even larger impact in our community. We hope to see you soon!