A Dramatic Future Awaits: The Art and Culture Center/Hollywood Will Expand

The new wing will provide visual arts and multimedia studio classrooms, along with a multi-purpose room for dance, drama, artist talks, film screenings, meeting space and more. This building will be a visual marquee in Downtown Hollywood drawing residents and visitors in our region to the Center. Additionally, the new education building incorporates an outdoor courtyard to enhance the visitor experience.

The dramatic design will merge with the existing two-story, 1924 Mediterranean Revival architecture of the Kagey Home, which houses the Center’s Galleries and Administrative Offices.

When completed, the new wing, with its gleaming façade and swooping rooftop, will provide the Center and the City with a unique architectural distinction in Broward County of having adjoining, functional spaces built about 100 years apart.

The Home of the Art and Culture Center/Hollywood
The Art and Culture Center/Hollywood is located in the former home of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Kagey, a founding family in Hollywood. The home was built in 1924 and is a beautiful example of Mediterranean Revival architecture. It is one of Hollywood’s first show-place homes and was completed a year before the City of Hollywood was incorporated.

Jack Kagey was the Sales Manager of Joseph W. Young’s Hollywood Land and Water Company. He earned the seed money to build the home by winning a contest held by Young for his salesmen during the height of the 1920’s Real Estate Boom. The Kageys were in the home for just two years when, in September 1926, the structure withstood a devastating hurricane that ended the land boom.

The home continued to be used as a private residence until 1960, when it was converted into a funeral home and doubled in size to 12,000 square feet. The expansion included the addition of a chapel along the east side, which later became the Center’s Main Gallery. Many of the home’s original features from the 1920’s have been retained, such as the glass doorknobs, wrought-iron railings, tiles on the second-floor balcony, wood moldings, floors and arches. In January of 1990, the property was purchased by the City of Hollywood to become the new home of the Art and Culture Center/Hollywood, which was previously located in a building on Hollywood Beach. The Mansion was renovated with Private and Historical Grant monies and opened on February 2nd, 1992.

About the Center
The Center was founded in 1975 as the only Visual Arts Non-Profit Organization in south Broward County, operating out of a small community space on Hollywood Beach. The Center now manages visual arts galleries in the renovated Kagey Home built in 1924, the Arts School that is adjacent to the main facility and a 500-seat theater in Hollywood’s burgeoning Downtown. The Center is the third oldest Arts Non-Profit in Broward County and the Kagey Home is a cultural landmark for the Mediterranean Revival architecture of its circa-1924 building.
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In March 2019, the Center was designated for $2.5 Million in funds from the City of Hollywood towards its Arts Ignite! building initiative, as part of a General Obligation Bond referendum that was approved by Hollywood voters. These funds have been allocated toward the expansion of Center facilities with construction of a new Arts Education Building that will adjoin the Kagey Home. When completed, as early as 2023.
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The Center is a regional leader among South Florida arts institutions in presenting originally curated visual-arts exhibitions by national and local artists and standards-based, multi-disciplinary arts education programs for the youth. The Center impacts about 40,000 people each year through its programs and facilities. Contemporary artists exhibit in four ground-floor gallery spaces while the upstairs Community Gallery presents exhibitions by K-12 students who study under some of the most dedicated arts teachers in the region. Each year, 125+ artists representing a vast range of backgrounds and artistic media are exhibited in our galleries. We are a two-time host organization for the South Florida Cultural Consortium Fellowship Program (2011 and 2017).

Through its programs and facilities, the Center fosters a creative environment where new and challenging work can flourish through exhibitions and art-making activities that reflect the highest standards of artistry and diversity.

Become An Art Buyer
The Art and Culture Center/Hollywood’s Exposed Exhibition and Fundraiser returns with an opening reception on Saturday, September 3rd, 2022 from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 pm. The Exhibition will run through Friday, September 30th, 2022 with the draw set for that night from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Exposed gives the opportunity for art patrons to become art buyers during an exciting and lively fundraising affair in which every ticket holder takes home an original work of art for their collection. The event will feature more than 70 contemporary artists in an exhibition that culminates with an exciting closing-night draw for participants and their guests. Names are drawn one-by-one for the chance to select any work of art that has not yet been claimed. Everyone's a winner at Exposed!
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For the 14th Edition of this popular exhibition and fundraiser, the Center will give ticket buyers on the closing-night draw two options for selecting their artwork – in person in the Center’s Main Gallery or they can have a designated Center staff member pick their artwork by proxy while watching the event live streamed on the Center's Facebook Live. For details on how proxies work, please call: (954) 921-3274.
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Funds raised at Exposed will support the Center’s year-round calendar of gallery exhibitions and events. This is an excellent way to add to your collection while also supporting the Center.

Ticket buyers who choose to participate in the closing-night draw in person may bring a plus one to the gallery; the draw will be held on Friday, September 30th, 2022 at 8:00 p.m. Draw. All tickets holders will receive complimentary admission during the exhibition dates and may schedule a private tour with the Center’s Curator.

The Art and Culture Center/Hollywood is located at 1650 Harrison Street, Hollywood, Florida 33020, one block south of Hollywood Boulevard at the corner of South 17th Avenue and Harrison Street, across from ArtsPark at Young Circle. There is ample free parking in two lots on the east and west sides of the Art and Culture Center. For information, call Visitor Services at: (954) 921-3274.