Elm Street and JW Collection Team Up To Build Visual Arts Center

Elm Street Cultural Arts Village in downtown Woodstock announces that its new visual arts center, the Reeves House, will be constructed by JW Collection at cost. The visual arts facility will be a re-build of the historic Reeves family home once sited on the property. A new, open interior will feature a gallery for rotating exhibits, classroom and artist studios, and a coffee shop/wine bar to spark casual conversation around art. Elm Street's current art classes operate from their administrative offices, making the completion of the Reeves House pivotal in providing a dedicated space for local artists and robust visual arts programming.

Elm Street held a Gala on February 28th to fundraise the remaining costs, as well as announce John Wieland's involvement in the project.

"This opportunity that John Wieland and the JW Collection has offered us has truly been pivotal for achieving this project. Bringing the project to 'at cost' has made the finish line reachable, and we are confident that our community will be better for it!" says Christopher Brazelton, Executive Director of Elm Street. Brazelton adds "I think this is a testament to how John and his team desire to be involved in the communities they work with - this isn't a 'build and move on' mentality - and you can sense from their whole team they are proud to be involved."

Founder John Wieland has 50 years of experience in homebuilding as well as a passion for the arts himself, which made the collaboration both compatible as well as meaningful. The JW Collection is known in the Woodstock area for South on Main, a vibrant neighborhood that is in walking distance to Elm Street and Downtown Woodstock. "We have always believed that homebuilding and architecture are directly related to the visual arts," Wieland says. "Accordingly, we are thrilled to be offered the opportunity to rebuild the Reeves House and add to the dynamic fabric of Elm Street and Woodstock. The arts clearly enrich our individual living experiences. South on Main is fortunate to be within easy walking or cycling distance to the future Reeves House."

When complete, the Reeves House will open amid multiple new developments on the Elm Street site. Key among these are the Mary F. Kish Center for Ceramics and Pottery, a natural playground incorporating elements and textures from the landscape, and a public restroom facility. Both the playground and the restrooms have been funded by SPLOST and Parks and Recreation Impact Fee Funds along with contributions from the Downtown Development Authority and Elm Street Cultural Arts Village.

"The Reeves House will anchor arts programming for the property. It gives us the critical mass to effectively staff the adjacent Kish Pottery Center, so with those two facilities together we can bring a whole new level of engagement to the community, " Brazelton says. "Even though we may all need to stay inside for a while longer, it's exciting to see these projects underway! They will be ready to open soon - and give us plenty of new things to do as we get back to building community."

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