OTTAWA — Following the success of the inaugural SWAN Arts Festival in June, plans are underway to create the SWAN Arts Foundation, a non-profit that will help support the arts festival, other arts initiatives, and eventually create a full-time arts center. A SWAN Arts Center would provide a space for arts education, galleries to display local and national art, and would become a center for community creativity and interaction, said Shawn Dickinson, founder of the SWAN Arts Foundation. Plans are still in the early stage but Dickinson said there is a need for the foundation and an arts center. “Regardless of how successful the SWAN Arts Festival was, it is going to take more than a three-day festival to make a lasting impact,” Dickinson said. Several buildings in Ottawa are being considered for the future home of the arts center, he said. “Many people have asked, ‘Why not utilize the Carnegie building?’” he said. “The Carnegie building is a historical and architectural asset to the community, but it also has its share of challenges — handicapped accessibility being the most important. The historical nature of the facility also limits changes that can be made and how the building can be used.” The Carnegie houses the Ottawa Community Arts Council and the Ottawa Suzuki Strings, and the foundation will support them, he said. Stephanie Williamson, education director for the Ottawa Community Arts Council, said she fully supports the SWAN Arts Foundation and the possibility of an arts center to partner with. “Having multiple venues and organizations involved only will help increase the awareness of the need for the arts in Franklin County and beyond,” she said.
Tuesday, Sept. 23, 8 a.m.
