The Art Center Cooperative is a local art gallery that provides accessibility to local artists in exhibiting their creativity. Located in San Marco, the art gallery showcases its members artwork. The Art Center Cooperative also provides studio space for rent and business workshops for artists.
Getting to know so many people in this city has inspired me to want to belong to some of these groups.
Pat Setser, Artist
In the Mix Interview
Charlee Guillaume, a multimedia designer with Mix Theory Studios, interviewed six local artists at the Art Center Cooperative in San Marco. This interview is part of the Artist Segment of In the Mix. Video and photos produced by Charlee Guillaume with the help of guest videographer, Josh McLendon of Lost Media Solutions LLC.
According to Lisa Lofton, the president of the Art Center Cooperative, the gallery is filled with art from the mixing pot of local artists that are featured. Some of these artists bring influences from their native countries such as Bulgaria, Ukraine, Nigeria, and Venezuela. Each of the 34 artists has an online shop on the Art Center Cooperative website.
We didn’t see a source of young artists, inspired artists coming together being represented in local galleries.
Annelies Dykgraaf, Co-founder of the Art Center Cooperative and President of Jacksonville Artists Guild
The Art Center Cooperative and its sister organization, the Jacksonville Artist Guild, just completed an exhibit at the Jacksonville International Airport. The exhibit featured Jacksonville-inspired works covering the many dimensions of the city from the zoo and bridges to the entertainment centers such as the Florida Theater.
As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the Art Center Cooperative also receives funding from sponsors such as the Cultural Council of Jacksonville to do outreach programs with the Hubbard House and Title 1 schools. Recently, the cooperative raised donations to purchase supplies for the art programs at Title 1 schools, which helped teachers cover shortages during the pandemic.
I think that’s exciting that there are groups that are willing to work at and create these special places.
Cookie Davis, Local Artist and Organizer
The Art Center Cooperative is currently running an art raffle to raise money for the organization now through May 29, 2022. You can purchase raffle tickets for three different art pieces:
- Horse and Cat – Acrylic by Marsha Hatcher
- Promised Acrylic Painting by Cookie Davis
- Duo Graphite Drawing by Denise Sawyer-Johnson
The gallery is open Monday through Friday from noon to 5 pm. Visit the Art Center Cooperative website to find out more on how to join its membership and the artist calls they are currently running for the Bicentennial event happening on June 11, 2022.
