This weekend marks a milestone for the Schweinfurth Art Center in Auburn. The community is invited to help celebrate its 40th anniversary when the doors open for free on Sunday. Executive Director Donna Lamb says they’ll feature a selection of the architectural drawings of Auburn native Julius Schweinfurth, the center’s namesake.
“He was a very skilled craftsman and artist as well as architect, so he was pretty committed to supporting the arts and believed in the importance of the arts. Obviously he left money in a trust to ensure that his hometown had its very own arts center.”
Visitors are also invited to tour the exhibit featuring the talent of art center members. The celebration comes as the center emerges from COVID limitations.
“We haven’t been doing opening receptions for our exhibitions, so a lot of things were waiting until the last minute before we commit to things just because we don’t exactly know what to expect. But, for now we’re moving ahead with our summer camp and some adult classes.”
Lamb says more than half of their revenue comes from earned income activities, which came to a halt last year. She says, though, with federal loans, generous donors, and foundation funding, they’ve been able to pull through. Lamb says they’ve been open on a limited basis since last August, and knows there’s a demand for the arts.
"The people who came in were so grateful that we were open and that it was safe to come here and we continue to find that to be true. People are ready to get out. I think people are very happy to have access to Schweinfurth than other institutions that are opening up.”
The gallery will be open from 1 to 5 Sunday. It’s located at 205 Genesee Street in Auburn. More information is at schweinfurthartcenter.org.
