Community Arts of Elmira

Community Arts of Elmira celebrates community connection through creative expression, with student, emerging and professional artists and arts educators, as well as Creative Community Partners, such as groups, organizations, schools, business and manufacturers.  In addition, with listings on the National Register of Historic Places and the National Park Service Network to Freedom Underground Railroad, the Second-Empire Italianate home of Community Arts of Elmira tells many intricate stories of Elmira's past and carries those stories and those voices throughout Elmira neighborhoods, districts and places, encouraging all individuals to share their own creative voice along with others through arts education classes, three exhibition galleries and community events, such as Mural Fest.  Over the past two decades, Community Arts of Elmira has committed to reducing community blight, not only by repurposing the historic building at 413 Lake Street, but also employing area artists to create vibrant public art murals through its public art program Elmira Infinite Canvas, transforming spaces to places, from "Blight to Brilliant." In fact, Elmira Infinite Canvas has helped to catalyze Elmira as an attractor city (https://www.communityartsofelmira.com/infinite-canvas.php).  In addition, Community Arts of Elmira also has generated branding campaigns for community and tourist-based arts and cultural concepts that grow creative identities and economic impact through the arts, including Elmira’s Creation Economy, Made in Elmira, New York and the Elmira Creative Corridor.  At the heart of Community Arts is service to individuals in the immediate community and throughout the Finger Lakes Region, providing a welcoming and safe place for creative expression, inspiring imagination, advancing arts education and supporting the growth of a creation economy, while working towards ever-more inclusive, diverse, equitable and accessible organization, community and world, through the transformative, transcendant power of art.  To learn more visit http://www.communityartsofelmira.com.  Thank you.

Who We Are

Community Arts of Elmira is an all-volunteer organization serving individuals through inclusive programs, classes, workshops, events, exhibitions, the expressive arts and public art, while repurposing a Second-Empire Italianate mansion listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the National Park Service Network to Freedom Underground Railroad. In addition, Community Arts of Elmira is developing its surrounding property in an underserved neighborhood on the Elmira Creative Corridor, an area undergoing further transformation through multiple municipal and private placemaking projects. While continuing to expand programming capacity, Community Arts of Elmira is deepening its regional outreach through Elmira Infinite Canvas, a public art program, engaging student, emerging and professional artists. The community built public art component of Elmira Infinite Canvas thrives on accessible educational opportunities, collaborative interactive experiences and connective community partnerships, as does the interior programming at Community Arts, empowering creative voice and arts equity for Elmira as an attractor city.