Winnsboro Center for the Arts announces the official groundbreaking for the new Creative Learning Center on Saturday, Aug. 10 at 10 a.m. at 206 Market St. on The Bowery. Light refreshments will follow in the gallery at 200 Market St.

The public is invited to celebrate this historic milestone. 

“Expanding our footprint within the Cultural Arts District is so important for enabling us to serve our community more effectively,” said Mary White, president of Winnsboro Center for the Arts.

Gustavo Hinojosa of Hinojosa Architecture & Interiors in Dallas has been working with the WCA team to create a state-of-the-art design for the new building. Local experts, including structural engineer Michael E. Bugh, P.E., of Bugh & Brown Structural Engineering, LLC., MEP Engineer Lowrie Floyd of MEP Associates Design Group, Inc., and civil engineer Alex Gonzalez of CAPCO Engineering, all of Tyler, were hired to help plan the critical engineering systems. After a diligent and thorough competitive bidding process, the construction contract for the new Creative Learning Center was awarded to Jacobe Brothers Construction of Tyler. Clint Harris, president, and Ryan Francis, project manager, have estimated that construction will take ten months.

The Creative Learning Center represents Phase I of a master plan to provide much-needed space for WCA’s programs and activities within the Cultural Arts District. The center will be a 10,000-square-foot, 2-story, light-infused building constructed on property donated to WCA by the city of Winnsboro. The first floor will feature a spacious ceramics studio with a large room for wheel-throwing, a glaze area and indoor and outdoor kilns. The design includes separate areas for sculpting and for glassworks. A children’s room and gift shop will greet visitors entering from Market St. The second floor has classroom space, including a large multipurpose room suitable for theater rehearsals and summer camps, two music teaching studios and two independent study areas. 

Winnsboro was one of the first Texas towns designated by the Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) in 2009 as a Cultural Arts District, making it an ideal setting for the town’s unique year-round cultural events. The TCA program supports communities with thriving cultural and artistic resources.

WCA anchors the Cultural Arts District, bringing educational programming, cultural experiences and entertainment to the people of Winnsboro and surrounding East Texas communities. The center is a vibrant venue that hosts concerts, theater productions, art exhibitions, classes, workshops and three annual festivals: a Cowboy Music & Poetry Gathering, an Art & Wine Festival and a Festival of Books.

For more information about Winnsboro Center for the Arts, its master plan and its diverse activities offered, visit https://winnsborocenterforthearts.com/