Elm Street Announces Grand Opening of the Reeves House Next Week

Elm Street Cultural Arts Village in Downtown Woodstock will officially open the doors to the Reeves House Visual Arts Center on Friday, May 14th as part of the Grand Opening Weekend. Woodstock's new visual arts facility is a re-build of the historic Reeves family home once sited on the Elm Street property. Completion of The Reeves House will be the anchor of Elm Street's visual arts programming and bring these core services:

• Reeves House Gallery: Exhibiting local to world traveling artists, the Gallery will host hundreds of paintings (and other mediums) each year to be viewed, free of charge to the public. The Gallery is expected to make a significant cultural impact introducing art forms and ideas to the community.

• Café: In an effort of accessibility and approachability, a café will be offered throughout the day for coffee and wine service. This space primarily serves as an invitation to all the community. The primary goal of this service will be to provide a welcoming environment service to people that may view art as unapproachable.

• Ann Litrel, Shawn McLeod, & Gay Lora Grooms Education Studios: For ongoing classes and workshops to increase opportunity for the community to learn and engage.

• Juanita Hughes History Room: This space will house exhibits and information on local history, curated by Preservation Woodstock.

Collaboration is at the heart of this community-led and driven project from the beginning. Founders Gay Lora Grooms, Ann Litrel, and Shawn McLeod joined forces in 2009 to create a vision for a multidisciplinary art center which would provide entertainment, enrichment, as well as education in the arts. "The idea of The Reeves House grows from this vision," Board of Directors President Katie Caldwell Explains. "And so begins a great adventure! This space will be a pulse for the community, with a bustling schedule of events to provide lasting memories and experiences for all ages." The facility was built at cost by John Wieland and The JW Collection, as well as funded by support from the City of Woodstock, private foundations, various companies, and individual donors.

The weekend will be full of celebrations honoring all of the community support that brought this endeavor to fruition. Festivities will include live music, art activities, as well as the inaugural exhibition "[Re]constructing Home," which will feature pieces from local and regional artists who have served as the inspiration for this new home for the visual arts.

Executive Director Christopher Brazelton has overseen this project and is incredibly grateful for the continuous support in anticipation of its completion. "Despite having endured more than a year in a pandemic, we can take pride in the fact that we live in a community prioritizing the arts and each other."

Grand Opening Weekend Schedule:
Friday, May 14 - The Grand Opening party begins at 6 pm at the Reeves House. No charge. The open interior features space for a gallery hosting rotating exhibits, classrooms and artists studios, and a coffee shop/wine bar. Guests can tour the facility following 6:45 pm Ribbon Cutting. RSVP: https://elmstreetarts.org/events/reeves-house-grand-opening/

Saturday, May 15 - Mommy & Me is an artist-led project tutorial at the Reeves House, for kids and parents to work on together, that starts at 10 am. Free with suggested $15 donation for materials. RSVP: https://elmstreetarts.org/events/mommy-and-me/

Sunday, May 16 - Art on the Green is set for 1-6 pm on the Elm Street Event Green, 111 Elm Street in Downtown Woodstock. Local artists around North GA will gather on the Elm Street Event Green to display their art which includes: paintings, mixed media, photography, hand-crafted jewelry, eccentric gifts...and MUCH more! A perfect day to go outside, enjoy the weather, and pick up special, one-of-a-kind gifts for everyone. Free admission. More information: https://elmstreetarts.org/events/art-on-the-green-2021/

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