Spruill Center kicks off $2.7 million expansion

By ALEXANDER POPP alex@appenmedia.com

DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dunwoody has broken ground on a $2.7 million expansion at the Spruill Center for the Arts, adding new classrooms, studio space and capacity to the facility.

Local officials kicked off the project at a ceremony held at the arts center on Chamblee Dunwoody Road April 3.

“This day is a long time coming, Spruill has been in existence for 48 years now, we started in a church basement at Dunwoody Methodist,” Spruill Center CEO Alan Mothner said. “And in those 48 years, we have grown a lot … So today marks the beginning of a new era.”

The Spruill Center expansion project will add seven studio spaces, which Mothner said are especially needed due to the surge in popularity the center has experienced over the past three years.

Previously, Mothner told the Dunwoody City Council that 2022 was the center’s “best year ever” after it held more than 700 classes for nearly 6,000 students and hosted thousands of visitors and participants at special events during the year. The city has pledged $1 million from its general fund to match the Spruill Center’s own contribution to the project.

“The Spruill Center for Arts is an integral part of service delivery in Dunwoody to our residents. Without a strong partner we would not have the many art courses and art camps available for residents in our community,” Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch said at the groundbreaking. “Not only do you serve people from Dunwoody, but we also attract people into our community who then invest, as well.” the expansion project will add seven new classrooms and a large community space to the growing arts center.

In addition to the seven new classrooms, Mothner said plans call for a community room in the center’s main courtyard, which will allow them to “activate” the space and open up the opportunity to hold large classes and lectures.

“This is a beautiful courtyard space and we’re looking forward to having this open to the community as we celebrate the arts and continue to grow arts and culture here in our city,” he said.

To learn more about the Spruill Center for the Arts, visit spruillarts. org.