We will catapult Arts Campus Fort Wayne into the future as a destination—the heart of arts and culture in Northeast Indiana.

TOGETHER WITH OUR COMMUNITY, WE WILL ACHIEVE THESE GOALS:

National Reputation for Excellence

Anchored by Northeast Indiana’s premier arts and culture nonprofits, Arts Campus Fort Wayne can help our region gain nationwide recognition as a hub for talent, creativity, and innovation.

Art for All

Arts and cultural experiences offered by Arts Campus Fort Wayne resident organizations will become more inclusive and accessible in Northeast Indiana.

Sustainability

Through advocacy, financial planning, and program growth, our community will ensure the future of its premier arts and cultural assets for the next generation.

Outdoor Art Sculpture

PRIORITIES FOR GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT:

ARTS UNITED CENTER

Historic preservation and renovation of our internationally recognized, Louis Kahn-designed community theatre, resulting in an accessible, safe, functional, and state-of-the-art performance venue.

FAMILY ARTS CENTER

Construction of a new Family Arts Center to meet an immediate need for more space to accommodate theatre and musical rehearsals, workshops, dance classes, administrative spaces, and educational programming.

EVENT PAVILION

Support future growth with more room for performances, rehearsals, and community events.

FREIMANN SQUARE

Year-round activation of Freimann Square and our cultural district through cohesive lighting, signage, and connectivity to nearby parking, dining, parks, trails, and other downtown amenities.

 

ARTS ARE THE SOUL OF OUR COMMUNITY

Arts are a powerful economic driver.

Arts Campus Fort Wayne provides year-round access to a critical mass of audience that strengthens opportunities for nearby restaurants, retail, and residential development. With investment, we can grow the economic impact of co-located arts organizations and their audiences from about $28.6 million to more than $40 million by 2030.

Arts unify communities.

67 percent of Americans believe “the arts unify our communities regardless of age, race, and ethnicity” and 62 percent agree that the arts “helps me understand other cultures better”—a perspective observed across all demographic and economic categories.

– Americans for the Arts

Arts enhance individual well-being.

Music, theater, dance, and expressive writing can positively affect brain development in children, mental health, symptom management for seriously ill patients, and care for people as they get older.

– National Institute of Health MedlinePlus Magazine

Arts improve academic performance.

The currency of the 21st Century economy is creativity, innovation, and critical thinking. Students engaged in arts and culture have higher GPAs, standardized test scores, and college-going rates, as well as lower truancy and drop-out rates. These academic benefits are reaped by students regardless of socio-economic status.

– Arts Education Partnership

Arts bring families together.

As Northeast Indiana’s hub for visual art, theatre, film, dance, festivals, farmer’s markets, and more, Arts Campus Fort Wayne offers a window to the world and a place of discovery for all ages.

For more information, contact Susan Mendenhall, President, at (260) 424-0646 or smendenhall@artsunited.org.