Supporters of Coupeville Arts Center gathered Jan. 24 for a renaissance of a once-vital part of the community.

“People thought the arts center had disappeared because we couldn’t afford to advertise,” founding director Margaret Livermore said. “But really we were just in low profile.”

“This is a second birth for the arts center,” panorama photographer Denis Hill said.

Founded in 1987 as an offshoot of the Coupeville Festival Association, the arts center provided year-round visual art education and appreciation.

But more than that, Coupeville Mayor Nancy Conard said, in a 10-year period the organization brought an estimated $1 million into the community, with participants eating, lodging, shopping and spending money while they were here.

The Coupeville Arts Center board calls 2000 “a crisis year,” with falling enrollment, reduced revenue and the abrupt resignation of the director. The organization went into survival mode, renting out much of its space to nearby Whidbey General Hospital, and condensing into one corner of the building. They didn’t stop offering classes, but had to scale back on the selections.

“At that time they weren’t sure the doors would stay open,” Administrator Roberta Piercy said, “but everyone rallied.”

People volunteered to fill staff positions, raise donations and keep the arts organization afloat.

After a year of reorganizing, the group was able to get back on solid ground, and has regained possession of their entire office space, except for two offices they are renting out to Child Abuse Prevention Foundation.

“We’re heading in the right direction,” Livermore said.

The open house was a night to show off the spruced up space, sip champagne or sparkling cider and eat caviar-encrusted cream cheese.

More than 50 people stopped in to show their support, from city council members to artists and art lovers.

“I want it to be successful. It’s an important part of the community,” textile artist Pat Morse said.

Hill was optimistic that the center would gain momentum.

“People come to classes, then they tell other people in a sort of ripple effect,” Hill said.

Classes in a wide range of artistic mediums are scheduled throughout the year, from a silver-smithing class in February to a cloth doll making class in November.

Livermore said they have about one-third the classes offered in the past, but those classes are filling up nicely.

In addition, the arts center is hosting Art Walks in Coupeville throughout the year, and a Cinco de Mayo party fund-raiser on, of course, May 5.

You can reach News-Times reporter Marcie Miller at mmiller@whidbeynewstimes.com or call 675-6611