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Golden year: Staunton Augusta Art Center marks its 50th

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A group of arts and culture enthusiasts got together in Staunton in 1961 with a simple mission: to make the arts more accessible to people in Staunton and Augusta County.

Their effort led to the founding of the Staunton Fine Arts Association, known today as the Staunton Augusta Art Center, which is marking its 50th year with a series of events highlighted by a Golden Gala at the Stonewall Jackson Hotel in May.

The mission of the Center is the same that guided the early founders 50 years ago – with some tweaks.

“They were thinking about making the arts more accessible to local residents. What we’re doing now is taking it to the point where people are traveling here to see it,” said Beth Hodge, the Center’s executive director.

And in the process you have the appeal of Staunton as a tourist destination. The visual arts, showcased in the Center’s gallery at 10 S. New St. in Downtown Staunton and in galleries throughout the downtown district, are a big part of that appeal. Performing arts, highlighted by the world-renowned American Shakespeare Center a couple of blocks from the Center’s front door, are another.

Art is business, as the owners of local shops and restaurants whose bottom lines depend on the constant stream of visitor traffic will attest.

The Staunton Augusta Art Center has taken a leadership role in the arts-based economic arena. The Center was a key player in the effort that led to the development of the Red Brick District, a marketing effort promoting Downtown Staunton business.

Another focal point aimed at accessibility has been in the area of education. The Art Center keeps a busy schedule of classes for children and adults interested in hands-on instruction.

The classes are taught by local artists who pass on their accumulated wisdom to the artists of tomorrow.

“It’s a challenge to our artists and art educators, because our clientele demands high quality. But we like being pushed to deliver the highest quality possible, be it in our classes or our galleries or across the board,” Hodge said.