Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation

Description

Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation - A Brief History Founded in March 1994 as an all-volunteer and not‑for‑profit arts center in Oconee County, OCAF develops programs and classes in the performing, visual and literary arts. Annual cultural arts festivals, ongoing art exhibits, classes for children and adults, and musical and theatrical performances highlight OCAF's schedule of events. OCAF supports artists and crafts persons in the region by providing a venue for exhibits and sales of artwork and craftwork and by educating the community to increase the interest in the arts. In 1994, OCAF entered into an agreement with the Oconee County Board of Education to lease a four-room schoolhouse, originally occupied in 1902, located at the end of School Street in Watkinsville. The building, unused for 12 years, had fallen into a state of disrepair. With love and care and a lot of sweat equity, OCAF was able to hold its first major art exhibit to coincide with the 1996 Olympics. Since then, the 1902 OCAF Art Center has become the hub of the Oconee County arts community--full of ongoing exhibits, concerts, performances, arts classes and special events for people of all ages.