From outside, the building at 400 Roberson Street in Carrboro may not look very distinctive to those driving, walking or bicycling by. But on Thursday, the facility gained a major splash of color — one of the first steps of major changes coming and the relocation of a local nonprofit.
The ArtsCenter officially revealed its new signage at the building, hosting a reveal ceremony that doubled as a community celebration of its plans to move from East Main Street while staying in downtown Carrboro.
The installation is a collection of designs from local artists and community groups who have worked with the arts education nonprofit in the past, each letter being a different contribution and having its artist listed on the back of the sign.
A close-up of some of the artwork in The ArtsCenter’s sign at its future location on 400 Roberson Street.
Jenny Shultz-Thomas, the executive director of The ArtsCenter, speaks to the crowd before the sign reveal in the crook of Roberson Street in Carrboro.
Executive Director Jenny Shultz-Thomas helped start the ceremony after a guest dance performance, thanking the nonprofit’s board of directors, artists, educators and staff for all of their work in ongoing relocation efforts. As an organization that operates year-round and offers a wide variety of classes to the community, she said its the spirit of such people that make The ArtsCenter so special.
“We can move to a new place, we can build a new building but nothing changes if the heart and soul of that organization isn’t attached to its mission,” said Shultz-Thomas. “The mission of The ArtsCenter has always been about youth education and advocacy and performance, but really it’s about creation and expression, which is the heart of any community.
“So,” she continued, “as we move to this new home, we invite you to keep showing up.”
While its current location at 300 East Main Street was the longest tenured home for the nonprofit, The ArtsCenter has a history of moving around downtown Carrboro. Initially, the organization planned to relocate to a completely new facility off Jones Ferry Road before construction costs and opportunity caused its leaders to change their plans.
Camille Berry, who serves as Capital Campaign Donor Relations Manager for The ArtsCenter, said she’s excited by the bold move in relocation.
“It takes guts for us to say, ‘Nope, we’re not going with what we told you and what you agreed to. We found something better and this is why,'” said Berry. “And the response has been incredible. I thank you all for that — those who have moved with us, made that shift with us.”
The Roberson Street building will be renovated from previously housing the UNC Service Center of Excellence. The university used the one-story, 17,000-square-foot office space until September 2021, according to a UNC spokesperson. David Gange, who’s architecture firm is redesigning The ArtsCenter’s new home, said the plan is to remove some of the foliage around the building to make it more visible and inviting to those on the street or the nearby Libba Cotten Bikeway.
The entrance of the former UNC Service Center of Excellence building at 400 Roberson Street.
The current reimagining of the inside space for the new ArtsCenter building. (Photo via David Gange Architecture/The ArtsCenter.)
Carrboro Mayor Damon Seils also shared his thoughts at Thursday’s ceremony. He said the move, which was officially approved by the Carrboro Town Council in June, represents another way the area is going to be revitalized in coming months.
“Just down the street, two blocks away on the corner,” said Seils, “we’re building a new civic building with a branch library and a cultural center. It’s going to bookend Roberson Street in a way that I don’t think [Carrboro] really expected would happen when we first had that idea.
“This end of Roberson Street: The ArtsCenter,” the mayor added. “That end, the library and more — I can’t think of a better way to liven up this little street in the back end of Carrboro’s downtown.”
The ArtsCenter’s redevelopment of 400 Roberson Street is still in the permitting process, with the nonprofit targeting an opening date of late spring-early summer in 2023.
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