Professional live music, comedy, theater, visual arts, education — you can’t mention Delray Beach without the Arts Garage. The cultural cornerstone is celebrating 15 years as a creative third space for touring artists, residents and tourists. And the support keeps growing.
In the age of AI and political polarization, president and CEO Marjorie Waldo told WLRN, there’s an “even stronger desire for community gatherings.”
“The benefits to people, mental health, physical health, all of those things, not to mention just feeling happy, come from being around arts and culture,” Waldo said.
Waldo, who’s led the Arts Garage for the past decade, recently raised $15,000 dollars — a nod to the anniversary — to fund scholarships and resources for programming such as its immersive theatre training, Places!
From July 6 to July 31 students will learn various theatrical themes, from technical theatre and playwriting to acting and improv.
“Kids who are engaged in community-based arts education are more likely to be civically engaged when they're older,” Waldo added, citing research from the National Endowment for the Arts.
READ MORE: Delray Beach's beloved Arts Garage is getting city dollars to keep its business thriving
At a time when arts funding is under pressure nationwide, the Arts Garage raised over $55,000 from more than 120 donors during their annual campaign, reflecting the community’s commitment to accessible culture.
Like other businesses and groups in the arts vulnerable to cuts, Waldo notes that the Arts Garage in recent years has increasingly relied on private donors rather than government grants and funding.
Those same donors often praise her for Art Garage’s diverse offerings.
“ They [fans] wanna see shows that transport them and that make them feel happy, “ Waldo said. “ I believe that it's easy to program the space to serve a diverse audience by creating a diversity of performers on the stage."
