Coral Springs Center for the Arts facts for kids
The Coral Springs Center for the Arts is a large, modern building in Coral Springs, Florida. It has a 1,471-seat theater and an art museum. The center is a popular spot for seeing broadway shows and other performances.
It's also home to a theater group called Next Stop Broadway. This group puts on shows and holds workshops for actors. Inside the same building, you can find the Coral Springs Museum of Art. The museum displays art from famous artists from Florida and across the country.
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How It Was Built
In the 1980s, the people of Coral Springs decided they needed a community center. They wanted a place for meetings, events, and fun activities. The city planned to spend $8 million on the new center, which would also include a gymnasium.
The building was designed by a famous local architect named Donald Singer. During construction, the builders came up with a clever idea to save space. They designed the gym so it could also be part of the theater.
A Smart Design
The gym had two basketball courts that opened directly into the theater. The seats were portable and could be moved around. When the seats faced south, they became the upper level, or mezzanine, of the theater. When they faced north, they turned into stands for watching sports in the gym.
Building the center took three years and cost more money than planned. Because of this, some parts of the original design had to be changed. For example, the stage area was made smaller. However, the main building structure stayed the same.
Opening and Growing
The building opened in 1989. At first, it was mainly used for sports and recreation. But soon, it became clear that people were more interested in using it for plays, concerts, and art shows.
By 1990, the city decided to run the center as its own department, focusing on the arts. In 1994, the city spent more money to improve the building's sound and fix space problems. Around the same time, an artist offered to help build an art museum. The two projects were combined, and the improved building reopened in 1996 as the Coral Springs Center for the Arts.
Coral Springs Museum of Art
The Coral Springs Museum of Art opened in 1997. It focuses on showing art made by living artists from Florida and other parts of the United States. The museum features many styles, including traditional, modern, and even digital art. Every year, it also hosts a special show for artists from the Coral Springs Artist Guild.
Some famous artists whose work has been shown at the museum include Pablo Cano, Scott Draves, Clyde Butcher, and William Glackens.
In 2015, the museum held its first-ever comic book festival, called Comics Fest Coral Springs. The event had fun activities like costume panels, drawing contests, and cartooning lessons for everyone to enjoy.
Learning at the Museum
The Coral Springs Museum of Art is a great place to learn about art. It offers many classes and workshops for all ages, from toddlers to adults. You can learn skills like working with clay, painting, drawing, and mixing different art materials.
The museum has about six teachers who are experts in art. If you want special attention, you can sign up for private classes. During the summer, the museum runs fun art camps for kids and teens.
The museum also has a special program called "Sensory Sensitivity Hour." It happens every Monday morning and is designed to be a calm and comfortable experience for visitors who are sensitive to noise and crowds.
Past Exhibitions
The museum features a wide variety of artists, from new talents to those who are more experienced.
A past exhibition called "Tides and Currents" ran from October 2024 to January 2025. This exhibit explored the many ways people connect with water. The art showed water as a source of life, a path for travel, and a powerful force of nature. The artists featured were Julia Zurrila, Michelle Drummond, Aria Tan, Sharon Lee Hart, Holly Hanessian, and Evelyn Politzer.
