More than 120 Adams County community members gathered at the Adams County Arts Council’s (ACAC) Arts Education Center for a First Friday reception to celebrate ACAC’s 30-year anniversary and kick off a highly anticipated building repair and renovation project. ACAC also invited area arts organizations participating in the Annual Giving Spree to be part of the event.
ACAC Board Members, staff, team members from Warehaus Architects and Engineers, representatives from Keystruct Construction, and building project supporters gathered in front of the building for a photo opportunity, complete with hard hats and a gold sledgehammer to commemorate the beginning of the project. The program continued inside with a lovely spread of food and wine and speaking appearances by ACAC Executive Director Lisa Cadigan, ACAC Building Committee Chair/Board Member Robert Phillips, Warehaus Lead Architect for the project, Erin Himmelberger, Keystruct Construction President, Darrin Flohr, and Adams County Community Foundation President/CEO Ralph Serpe. The program concluded with a performance and singalong led by the Gettysburg Civic Chorus. Also present to help kick off the Annual Giving Spree were representatives from Waldo’s, Gettysburg Community Theatre, and the Gettysburg Children’s Choir.
Cadigan’s remarks referred to a metaphor developed by 20th century architect, inventor, and philosopher Buckminster Fuller, who compares the “trimtabs” that are necessary to steer a large ship to the many seemingly insignificant and small steps people take both individually and collectively to create change. “Everyone who is here tonight, who has taken a class, made a donation, or participated in one of our programs has been a trimtab on this journey,” said Cadigan. “Our journey is far from over – we still need significant funding to secure the future of this building.” Cadigan invited everyone to support the arts with donations at the Annual Giving Spree on November 9.
The new façade design, created by Warehaus Architects and Engineers of York, was revealed as part of the program. The design includes an expansion of the front windows to include window boxes where three-dimensional art can be displayed as well as areas on the outside of the building to hang artwork. Construction is scheduled to begin on October 24.
The mission of the Adams County Arts Council is to cultivate an arts-rich community.
Featured image caption: Left to right: Elizabeth Kellett; Mark Kelley, Paragon; Erin Himmelberger, Warehaus; Rob Weir, Keystruct; Debbie Westmoreland, ACAC Board Member; Darrin Flohr, Keystruct; Darlene Brown, ACAC Board President; Kim Flickinger, ACAC Board Member; Lisa Cadigan, ACAC Executive Director; Robert Phillips, ACAC Board Member/Building Committee Chair; Sharon Magraw, Donor; Marty Qually, Commissioner; Wendy Heiges, ACAC Program/Gallery Director; Stu Kravits, ACAC Board Member/Building Committee; Randy Phiel, County Commissioner; Jim Martin, County Commissioner; Scott Coyle, ACAC Board Member/Building Committee; Nicole Bucher, ACAC Board Member. Not pictured: Pauline LeVan, ACAC Board Vice President; Tammie Woolgar, ACAC Board Treasurer; Linda Lohr, J. William Warehime Foundation; Edith Cimino, Robert C. Hoffman Charitable Endowment Trust; Jill Sellers, Main Street Gettysburg
Funding for this project has been provided by the Adams County Rescue & Recovery Fund, J. William Warehime Foundation, Robert C. Hoffman Charitable Endowment Trust, Main Street Gettysburg, and Sharon Magraw.