Location

Atlantic Center for the Arts is located in New Smyrna Beach, a semi-rural town of 18,000 permanent residents whose economy is based on fishing, tourism and service-related industries. Twenty percent of family incomes are below $25,000 and sixty percent are between $25,000 and $50,000. Ninety percent of the residents are white, nine percent are African American and one percent is Hispanic, Asian or Native American. Although not known as a retirement community, a large percentage of the population, especially in the winter months, is comprised of older adults. The local community served is 79 percent white, 15.2 percent African American and 5.8 percent Hispanic, Asian and/or Native American. Senior citizens, a major portion of the local demographics, represent the focal point for a number of programs including outreaches and workshops.

The populations of the surrounding service area are 65,000 in Daytona Beach and 400,000 in Volusia County. The major towns with closest proximity to Atlantic Center are: Daytona Beach, 15 miles north; DeLand, 25 miles west; and Orlando, 55 miles southwest. Atlantic Center has continued to broaden its reach into outlying regions since the opening of its community center, Harris House, in 1991. Participants travel to attend community programs from as far away as Orlando. This means that over one million people in the multi-county area are potential users of Atlantic Center's programs and facilities.

New Smyrna Beach has the distinction of being included in the book The 100 Best Small Art Towns in America: Where to Discover Creative Communities, Fresh Air, and Affordable Living, by John Villani. "There are a growing number of small communities where local residents can maintain their connection to the nation's cultural mainstream, yet still enjoy a small-town life," Villani says in the book. "These are places that will welcome you and your family with open arms, places that hold the promise of a better life."

While New Smyrna Beach's beautiful white sand beaches are a major attraction, Flagler Avenue is lined with quaint boutiques and art galleries, accented by children's artwork hanging from lampposts and decorating street benches. Historic downtown Canal Street, home to The Artist's Workshop, also boasts wonderful antique shops.

Atlantic Center for the Arts, an international artists-in-residence community located on 69 pristine acres on Turnbull Bay, was cited as one of the most important factors in the designation. "Atlantic Center continues to attract the contemporary art world's top names in painting and sculpture to teach midcareer artists," Villani wrote.

Atlantic Center's in-town, community outreach facility, Harris House of Atlantic Center for the Arts, impressed Villani as well. "Atlantic Center has one of the best privately funded community art centers in the country, Harris House, a very active visual arts exhibition and educational facility," he wrote. "The emphasis here is on local and regional arts and artists, with some of Florida's top names conducting day-long classes and lectures, evening poetry readings, children's art programs, group and one-artist shows, and an arts and humanities lecture series."

Atlantic Center and Harris House of Atlantic Center have also captured the attention of Anne Jeffrey and Aletta Dreiller, authors of the Art Lover's Guide to Florida. "Finding yourself in sixty-five secluded acres complete with small art gallery, theater, library, and various studios where nationally recognized artists can develop and test new works is a surprise and a treat," the authors say about Atlantic Center for the Arts.

Located on Florida's east central coast, New Smyrna Beach is a quiet seaside retreat located at the mouth of the Ponce de Leon Inlet, which serves as the gateway to the historic and picturesque Indian River-Intracoastal Waterway. Bounded at the south by the 57,000-acre Canaveral National Seashore and at the north by Smyrna Dunes Park, New Smyrna Beach is a refuge to many wildlife species listed as endangered.

For more information on the surrounding areas, please visit Volusia Count.