Gaston Arts Council

Gaston Arts Council GAC is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that supports cultural and educational programs.

09/08/2026

What happens when creatives get together, put down the pressure to create something “perfect,” and just make?

That’s the idea behind Amplify Meetups.

Join us this Saturday, September 12, at 9 am at the Gastonia Rotary Garden as we talk about Process over Product and share a morning of coffee, creativity, conversation, connection, and a little hands-on making!

No art degree required. No masterpiece expected. Just come as you are.

Come make something. Come meet someone. Come be part of the creative community we are building!

Thanks to Noa M. for sharing their morning at our last Meetup! Register at the link in our bio.

Amplify Meetups are back on September 12 at 9:00 am!We invite artists and creatives to embrace the imperfect, unfinished...
09/02/2026

Amplify Meetups are back on September 12 at 9:00 am!

We invite artists and creatives to embrace the imperfect, unfinished, and often unpredictable parts of the creative process through a simple outdoor art project and breakfast at the Gastonia Rotary Community Garden!

Together, we'll paint inspirational plant stakes - small reminders that growth doesn't always happen on our timeline, and that the process itself is part of the work.

We'll also have a guided conversation around the question: “What do you do when the work isn't working yet?” We'll talk about creative frustration, unfinished ideas, changing direction, and the pressure to produce something “good.” Together, we'll explore how artists can make room for experimentation, uncertainty, and the messy middle.

Amplify Meetups are part of a series designed to support, connect, and elevate Gaston County's arts community. Each session provides a creative activity, space for dialogue, and opportunities to build relationships with fellow artists.

Register at the link below:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1998017317582?aff=oddtdtcreator

This summer, our community showed us just how much Gaston County believes in creativity! 💛To every person who donated su...
08/24/2026

This summer, our community showed us just how much Gaston County believes in creativity! 💛

To every person who donated supplies, shared our posts, dropped something in a collection box, or simply helped spread the word: thank you.

Every box of crayons, every paintbrush, every sheet of paper, and every pair of scissors is more than just art supplies - it's a direct line to creativity in a child's hand.

Check out what Gaston County collected this summer:

🎨 62 boxes of crayons - nearly 1,500 crayons
🖍️ 99 packs of colored pencils - more than 1,200 pencils
🖊️ 36 packs of markers - 360 markers
✂️ 108 pairs of scissors
🖌️ 548 paintbrushes + 36 paint palettes
🎨 178 ounces of paint
📄 More than 1,700 sheets of art, watercolor, drawing & construction paper
🧴 81 glue sticks + 21 bottles of school glue
🧑‍🎨 40 kids' aprons
🖼️ 92 canvases
✨ 456 foam stickers + 1,300 googly eyes
🧶 12 skeins of yarn + 200 pipe cleaners + 630 pom-poms
🎨 144 artist-grade colored pencils + 72 soft pastels + 400 oil pastels + 90 charcoal pencils

That's a lot of creative possibility headed into the hands of children in our community!

A huge thank-you to our collection sites who helped make this drive possible: • • • •

Our collection stations may be packed up for the summer, but the Great Gaston Art Supply Drive isn't over! We're leaving our Wish List and Donation Page open throughout the year so that you can continue to support this effort. Because creativity shouldn't be seasonal.

Donate: https://givebutter.com/the-great-gaston-art-supply-drive
Wish List: https://a.co/0dptpZS0

Thank you, Gaston County, for helping us put more tools for creativity into more children's hands and supporting our arts teachers who make magic everyday. ✨️

As your local arts agency, we would like to remind you:Supporting the arts isn't just about being “an arts person.”It's ...
08/22/2026

As your local arts agency, we would like to remind you:

Supporting the arts isn't just about being “an arts person.”

It's about community.

It's about the artist down the street.
The kid discovering they love theater.
The teacher looking for a new way to engage their students.
The organization trying to keep the doors open.
The creative entrepreneur building something from scratch.
The weird, wonderful idea that might just become something bigger.

That's why local arts agencies matter.

We're here to help build the connections, resources, opportunities, and advocacy that allow Gaston County's creative community to thrive.

Creativity needs champions! And we’re looking for a few more.Gaston Arts Council is building our next class of Board mem...
08/19/2026

Creativity needs champions! And we’re looking for a few more.

Gaston Arts Council is building our next class of Board members, and we’re looking for people who are willing to roll up their sleeves and help connect our creative ecosystem all the way from Belmont to Cherryville, and everywhere between.

We’re particularly looking for folks with backgrounds in marketing, legal, finance, fundraising, and community leadership. Previous board experience is encouraged, but not required. What matters most is a willingness to show up, build relationships, open doors, and help move the work forward.

You don’t have to be an artist to serve on our Board. We’re looking for people who have a genuine love of the arts and believe in the power of creativity to make Gaston County a stronger, more connected community.

If you are ready to roll up your sleeves, open doors, and help us as we build the creative future we want to see in Gaston, email us a statement of interest at gac[at]gastonarts[dot]org to learn more or apply.

Good art for Gastonia!🍨Have you spotted the mural at Downstairs Ice Cream | Downtown Gastonia by Daniel Brenneman Art? B...
08/19/2026

Good art for Gastonia!🍨

Have you spotted the mural at Downstairs Ice Cream | Downtown Gastonia by Daniel Brenneman Art?

Be sure to check out the scoop when you are in downtown Gastonia!

Know a location with a great mural in Gaston County that we should check out? Drop it below in our comments! 👇

07/27/2026

Every artist begins somewhere!

For many children, it begins with an art teacher who sees their potential and the simple tools to help bring their imagination to life.

That’s why we launched The Great Gaston Art Supply Drive. Together, we can help ensure Gaston County classrooms are stocked with the supplies students need to create, explore, and discover what’s possible.

🎨 Drop off new art supplies at one of our collection sites:
📍 Gaston County Museum of Art & History, Dallas, NC
📍 Throw the Day Away Studio, Lowell, NC
📍 Confluence, Cramerton, NC
📍 NEW SITE! - Belmont Parks & Rec, Belmont, NC
📍 NEW SITE! - Michaels, Gastonia, NC

💛 Prefer to give financially? Make a donation or shop our classroom wish list using the link in our bio. Every dollar goes directly toward purchasing needed art supplies for Gaston County classrooms.

📅 Now collecting through August 20.

Because every child deserves the chance to create. ❤️🎨

🌟 Attention Gaston County artists: this one is for YOU!We are so excited to welcome Iván Garnica from the Arts and Scien...
07/22/2026

🌟 Attention Gaston County artists: this one is for YOU!

We are so excited to welcome Iván Garnica from the Arts and Science Council to Gaston County for a very special workshop this Saturday, July 25th!

If you are an individual artist looking for funding to support your practice, you will not want to miss it.

Iván will be hosting an Artist Support Grant Workshop, walking local artists through the process of applying for grant funding that goes DIRECTLY to individual artists to support their skills, creative development, and artistic practice.

This is an incredibly valuable opportunity to learn about a funding source specifically designed for YOU, the working artist, from someone who knows the process inside and out.

📅 July 25, 2026
📍 Gaston County Museum of Art & History
🕐 10:00 AM
🎟️ Free to attend | Register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1990485245953?

Tag an artist in your life who needs to hear about this! 👇⏰

Every masterpiece starts with a blank page - and every young artist starts with the right tools.Starting today, you can ...
07/20/2026

Every masterpiece starts with a blank page - and every young artist starts with the right tools.

Starting today, you can help stock Gaston County art classrooms through The Great Gaston Art Supply Drive! From paint and paper to colored pencils and sketchbooks, your donation helps ensure local art teachers have the supplies they need to inspire the next generation of creators.

🖌️ Donate new art supplies at one of our collection sites across Gaston County. (Gaston County Museum of Art & History, Throw the Day Away, and Confluence)
💛 Make a financial gift and we'll purchase needed supplies for local classrooms. https://givebutter.com/the-great-gaston-art-supply-drive
🛒 Shop our wishlist and send us donations directly. https://a.co/0dptpZS0
📣 Share this campaign to help us reach even more supporters!

Every crayon, paintbrush, sketchbook, and marker makes a difference. Because every child in Gaston County deserves the chance to make something beautiful. 🌟

📅 July 20 through August 20, 2026

Together, let's give Gaston County's young artists the tools to imagine, create, and thrive!

Share this post and help us spread the word! 👇

07/14/2026

Recent news about uncertainty surrounding arts funding is a reminder of something we’ve always known: strong communities are built through local investment.

As funding landscapes continue to shift, the support of local businesses, municipalities, donors, and community members becomes even more important. Every membership, sponsorship, donation, and event attendance helps create opportunities for artists, strengthen local organizations, and ensure the arts continue to thrive throughout Gaston County.

We’re committed to connecting artists, building partnerships, and expanding access to the arts - but we can’t do it without you.

Now, more than ever, investing in local arts creates lasting impact.

Read more: https://bit.ly/3Tk0fKy
Give today: https://givebutter.com/gaston-arts-council-support

Address

P. O. Box 242
Gastonia, NC
28053

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+17048532787

Website

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