If someone were to visit the Carrollwood Cultural Center, what they would quickly find is that it is a place where the community meets culture.
“We try to do as much as we can for the community and be good advocates for the arts,” said Adrienne Hutelmyer, the center’s marketing director. The center has an art gallery with multiple exhibits on display most days. It has a summer arts camp for kids who want to explore their creative side. There’s also and a community theater for those who wish to perform or for those who enjoy sitting in the audience.
It’s where a 5-year-old girl discovers that she’s an artist, a 70-year-old man discovers he’s a musician, a 35-year-old woman learns ballet and a family grows stronger by sharing the stage together.
Carrollwood Cultural Center
And the classes are endless. Want to play an instrument, learn how to throw pottery or take modern dance? The center offers classes at various times of the day to accommodate both children and adults, Hutelmyer said.
“Some are in visual or fine arts, wellness classes, music classes, body confidence dancing and Zumba.” There is also a community band and community chorus.
How the center got started
The Carrollwood Cultural Center is a collaboration between Hillsborough County and the nonprofit Friends of Carrollwood Cultural Center. In 2008, the county renovated former church at 4537 Lowell Road and needed a group to manage it. So the nonprofit stepped up.
“The county wanted to protect this multimillion asset, so the agreement with CCS is to do a management check to help cover a lot of the expenses to protect their asset. The nonprofit fundraised for other money,” Hutelmyer said. “So, in addition to receiving tuition for classes and selling event tickets and room rental, we have the membership program. A way for the community to support the center financially.”
The membership is voluntary for those who choose to support the center, Hutelmyer said. It is $60 annually for individuals and $120 for families. There are also corporate memberships for businesses that want to support the arts. In return, the center offers a thank-you in the form of discounted performance tickets and classes.
An abundance of classes
Most classes offered at the center run once a week for six weeks. The most popular classes are ballet classes and ceramics and pottery. Most classes run anywhere from $68 to $80, depending on session lengths and materials needed. Ballet classes are $130-$145.
“The most popular classes for adults are ceramics,” Hutelmyer said. “We offer wheel-throwing and hand-building, where you build something from the ground up. Several yoga classes have done well through the years and have really good retention. Some of the dance classes are very popular.”
The center is offering several new art classes, including painting with acrylics and portrait drawing. “For our kids, we have some art classes, such as cartoon drawing and advanced classes,” most notably a creative dance class for little ones.
“In summer, we don’t offer many classes for kids because we have our summer camp, which sells out every year,” Hutelmyer said. The staff that would normally teach the kids’ classes are instead instructors at the camp. During the school year, she said, there are more adults because classes start as early as 9 a.m. But some classes start at 6 p.m. allowing kids to participate as well.
Building the community
Hutelmyer says it’s always fun to see chorus participants try out for musicals and eventually get a lead role in a performance.
“Over the last 12 years or so, it’s neat the see who goes from being in an ensemble and then get the lead in the next show. We love it when people share their talent with us, but when they take it beyond our doors, we know we have done our job.”
Sometimes, those who learn to sing at the cultural center end up performing in live theater productions around the region, Hutelmyer said.
The center offices are open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. There are no office hours on Sundays, but often, there are live performances.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development states cultural sectors in the community are important for economic footprint and employment. They also tend to spur innovation and have a positive impact on the community. These centers can make a noticeable improvement in well-being, health, education, inclusion policies and urban regeneration.