Thoughtful design and renovation transformed these two historic downtown buildings on Main Street in Pine Bluff into vibrant community arts and events spaces.  This exciting new expansion to the ASC campus, anchored by the ASC’s main building at 701 S. Main Street, now operate as a multi-purpose community arts and event space.

These two projects were just received the 2021 Award for Outstanding Achievement in Adaptive Reuse” by the Arkansas Preservation Alliance.

The two buildings feature the endowed Adam B. Robinson, Jr. Theater, a 70-seat black box theater for small, community-oriented productions (named in honor of the long-time ASC supporter and Board member); five apartments for resident artists with accompanying studios that can be used by the residents or rented to local artists; a community gallery for area artists to show and sell work; flexible workshop space for art classes, yoga classes, dance and culinary arts workshops, a tinkering makerspace, a wood shop, scene shop and costume shop; a small pottery studio and an outside “ART Yard” for large-scale projects and events.

The re-imagined buildings contribute to the Historic District and incorporate some of the original features, including an advertising mural inside for O.K. Dairy Creamery, currently ARTSpace.