The Hastings Prescott Arts Council (HPAC) moves to expand its ‘Arts for All Ages’ program after receiving funds from Power of 100 and a Doffing Fund Grant.
HPAC is a nonprofit that works to support the arts in Hastings and Prescott. Through artist scholarships, community events and art outreach programs, since 2008 HPAC has been seeking to make “Hastings more than it is for art,” said HPAC President Kathy O’Keefe.
One such program is Arts for All Ages, a program that seeks to provide art and art projects to local senior living. Mobility is often a hurdle for residents who would be otherwise interested in events, so the program attempted to bring HPAC events to them.
HPAC piloted the program in the Hastings Senior Health and Living Center with artist Jessie Eckroad which has been “highly, highly successful,” said O’Keefe.
According to O’Keefe, the events initially planned for the program quickly shifted based on the residents’ interests which skewed towards the practical. To this point, finding the right resident artist who can be flexible with events was a specific goal for the program.
HPAC was recently awarded a grant from the Doffing Fund as well as funds from the Power of 100 nonprofit which will allow the program to expand into the Benedictine Living Community and the Hastings Veterans Home.
O’Keefe referenced the proof of concept from the pilot program as to why HPAC received the funds: “We did our homework.”
While the pilot program was always meant for expansion,
Creative Space
The expansion of Arts for All comes as HPAC is opening its Hastings ‘Creative Space,’ a gathering place and hub for future classes and programming located at 213 Ramsey St.
While HPAC has long run the Orange Dragon Art Gallery in Prescott, the group has lacked a physical space in Hastings, which has been a key hurdle to visibility, said O’Keefe.
The Creative Space will be meeting and office space for various groups supported by HPAC including the River Valley Chorale, in addition to space for classes.
The Creative Space’s grand opening will take place on Saturday, May 17 from 4-7 p.m. with live music, food, and art events.
Long-term Goals
While a physical space has been a long-term goal of HPAC for years, it is not the only one. In 2018, HPAC commissioned an arts and culture plan for the Hastings community which laid out four goals for the organization: 1) a vibrant and multifaceted creative sector and economy, 2) a strong sense of place and place identity through beautification, 3) healthy and empowered lifelong learners and creative innovators, and 4) a strong foundation of people, resources, and spaces to support arts and cultural experiences and business and workforce opportunities.
While the COVID-19 Pandemic upended many of these plans, the group continues to expand and support local arts including the Rivertown Days arts and crafts fair, Black Dirt Theater, River Valley Band and River Valley Chorale.
For more information about HPAC, visit www.hastingsprescottarts.org