Charlotte Burns, left, and her sister Emmelene Burns play in the bubble bath ball tub on Aug. 8, 2017, in the Children’s Museum & Science Center at the Imperial Centre. (File Photo)
IMPERIAL centre By Paige Minshew
Located in downtown Rocky Mount, the
The Arts Center is designed to educate
budding artists to hone their skills. Weidrich
Imperial Centre for the Arts and Sciences is
and inspire people of all ages in visual and
encourages these artists to attend opening
one of the premier cultural facilities in the
performing arts. Alicyn Wiedrich, art curator
receptions to meet other artists and speak to
area.
of the Children’s Museum and Science Center,
jurors.
The centre boasts 135,000 square feet of restored and renovated space from the
hopes “visitors are challenged to think about art in new ways.
“Connections like that are invaluable to budding artists,” she said.
former Imperial Tobacco Company and the
“I hear people say that ‘art isn’t for them’
Weidrich offers artists workshops that
old Braswell Memorial Library. The Imperial
or that they ‘don’t know enough about art to
focus on writing an exhibition proposal for the
Centre houses an Arts Center, Children’s
enjoy it,’” she said. “Through our exhibitions,
Imperial Centre. These skills are transferable
Museum and Science Center and community
interactives and programming, I hope to
so they can be used at other institutions as
performing arts theatre.
inspire all of our visitors to consider that
well.
Currently, the doors are shuttered to the
art is about emotion, changing your mind,
Weidrich frequently uses young, promising
public due to the coronavirus pandemic. In
experimentation, asking a question, being
artists as volunteers in the galleries. Higher
the meantime, the public and regular visitors
transported somewhere else and so much
level students have the opportunity to work
are encouraged to engage with the Imperial
more.”
in the galleries and gallery shop. Artists over
Centre through digital programs.
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There are also plenty of opportunities for
the age of 18 can also submit their work to the
