The Progress

Follow the progress through our multi-year campaign to create an arts center in the heart of downtown Southport.

Rendering Watercolor Hero

Save the Hall, Y'all!

As part of its third Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Southport, Up Your Arts has an agreement with local  officials to advance the project to pre-construction by taking the following next steps:

  • Conduct community-based presentations to inform the public and solicit ongoing feedback
  • Lead an executive committee comprised of professional experts to direct activities pro bono
  • Share and discuss outcomes with municipal leaders
  • Manage a local volunteer membership group to plan future programming
  • Foster community-based efforts to connect and develop a range of fundraising sources
    for
    the building’s reconstruction
  • Fund professional architectural services necessary to solicit contractor bids
  • Establish a cross-section of local stakeholders to form a non-profit board of directors
    as the
    legal agency to oversee and direct funding for the reconstruction and to enter
    into a leasing
    agreement with the City of Southport to operate and maintain the
    property as a community
    arts center

Up Your Arts is committed to both transparency and accountability in our partnership with the City of Southport and our various community partners. The offers of help we have received, from pro bono hands-on activity to financial support, point to a very successful project outcome.

Memorandums of Understanding with the City of Southport, NC

Progress Updates

Board Candidate Invitations Sent

An invitation to potential candidates for the new art center board of directors has been distributed via email. We will be soliciting their level of interest in follow up conversations and scheduling ...
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Candidate List & Invitations

We are compiling a list of individuals to invite them to join the Arts Center Board of Directors. We’d like to take this opportunity to again solicit the names of ...
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Restoration, Gala and Interviews

We have identified draft interview questions and criteria for selection of the art center’s new board of directors. Invitations to apply will be sent to potential candidates in May and interviewsscheduled ...
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New Committees Setup

At its monthly meeting on February 7, 2023, the Up Your Arts Board of Directors approved a motion to proceed with the incorporation of a new nonprofit organization to organize and manage ...
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Meetings, Modules and Criteria

Up Your Arts held six public meetings at the Indian Trail Meeting Hall from January 24-February 2 to review plans for the proposed art center. These charrettes allowed citizens and other  ...
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Starting Board Selection

We expect to have the board of trustees selection committee in place by the end of February The selection committee will interview those who respond positively and evaluate their candidacy, based ...
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Supporting Documents

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