SAAC Program Info:
Below is a concise overview of the Staunton Augusta Art Center’s core programs, their current status, and strategic goals for the year.
Demographics:
The following represents a demographic overview of Staunton and Augusta County based on recent U.S. Census data:
Staunton, Virginia has a population that is predominantly White (Non-Hispanic), representing approximately 78–80% of residents. Black or African American residents make up about 10%, followed by individuals identifying as Two or More Races (approximately 5–7%), Hispanic or Latino (4–5%), and Asian (approximately 1.5%). Other racial and ethnic groups, including Native American residents, represent less than 1% of the population. The city has a median household income of approximately $62,586 and a homeownership rate of roughly 60%. Staunton’s population skews slightly female, with approximately 54% female and 46% male residents. About 5.5% of residents speak a language other than English at home.
Staunton’s population is also aging, with a median age between 41 and 44 years. More than 21% of residents are age 65 or older, reflecting a significant and growing senior population. This demographic trend highlights the importance of accessible cultural programming that serves both older adults and intergenerational audiences.
Augusta County, which surrounds Staunton, has a population of approximately 78,000 residents and is similarly predominantly White, representing approximately 88–95% of the population. Smaller populations identify as Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, or multiracial. The median household income in Augusta County is approximately $71,346, with a poverty rate of 7.4%, indicating relative economic stability alongside areas of need.
Augusta County has a median age of 45.3 years, notably higher than both state and national averages. The county’s population is geographically dispersed across a large rural area, which presents both opportunities and challenges for access to Arts and cultural programming. Together, Staunton and Augusta County represent a diverse and evolving community with a strong need for accessible, inclusive, and locally relevant Arts engagement.
Educational Programs:
The Staunton Augusta Art Center continues to provide a range of educational programs for children, including Saturday Art Lab, seasonal camps, and teacher workday camps. Over the past year, enrollment trends have shifted. While participation in Saturday Art Lab has declined, enrollment in camps—particularly teacher workday camps—has steadily increased, demonstrating continued demand for structured Arts programming that aligns with school schedules.
Feedback from parents indicates that decreased Saturday enrollment is largely due to the growing number of extracurricular activities competing for students’ time on weekends. Many families expressed that our current Saturday class times conflict with sports and other commitments. However, there has been no clear consensus among parents regarding alternative days or times that would consistently work better.
In response, our focus this year will be on strengthening partnerships with local schools to better connect with students who have a strong interest in Art. We also plan to experiment with adjusting class schedules throughout the year, testing different days and times to identify options that better meet the needs of families.
Exhibits and Attendance:
The Staunton Augusta Art Center continues to present a robust schedule of gallery exhibitions, featuring a wide range of styles, mediums, and Artists. Last year, our exhibitions generated a 19% increase in sales, reflecting growing support for regional Artists and the vibrancy of our programs. This year, we will host several group exhibitions that showcase diverse art forms and styles, and we anticipate building on the success of previous years to further increase Artist exposure and sales.
Attendance at our exhibitions saw a modest increase last year, and we are actively focusing on expanding marketing efforts and press coverage to continue this upward trend. By raising awareness of our exhibitions and highlighting featured Artists, we aim to attract a broader and more diverse audience while strengthening the community’s engagement with the Visual Arts.
Festivals:
The Staunton Augusta Art Center produces two major annual Art festivals—Art on the Town and Art in the Park—which provide regional Artists with significant exposure and economic opportunity. Last year, Art on the Town faced unusual circumstances, as we were forced to relocate the festival at a very late date due to emergency construction at our previous site. Marketing went out later than planned, making the festival an anomaly and limiting the usefulness of data from that event for comparison purposes.
Art in the Park, in contrast, followed a more typical schedule. Among participating Artists, 33% reported earning more than in previous festivals or years, 29% reported earning less, 19% reported similar earnings, and 19% were first-time participants with no prior basis for comparison. Individual sales ranged widely: 4% earned under $500, 15% earned $500–1,000, 37% earned $1,000–1,500, 18% earned $1,500–2,000, 4% earned $2,000–2,500, 7% earned $2,500–3,000, 4% earned $3,000–3,500, 4% earned $3,500–4,000, and 7% earned over $5,000. This corresponds to an average of $1,848 in sales per vendor, generating a total of $158,928 in direct sales to participating Artists.
Attendance at Art in the Park has remained very consistent from year to year. While we continue to explore ways to increase turnout, we may have approached the practical maximum for these events given their current venues and logistical constraints.
Looking ahead, we plan to build on these successes by refining festival operations, enhancing marketing and press coverage, and continuing to support Artists with robust opportunities for sales and public engagement. These festivals remain central to our mission of connecting Artists with the community while fostering a vibrant regional Arts economy.
Rural Arts Initiative:
The Staunton Augusta Art Center is in the process of revamping its Rural Arts Initiative to more effectively serve communities across Augusta County. Recognizing the geographic spread and unique needs of rural areas, we are taking a phased, community-driven approach to ensure programs are relevant, accessible, and sustainable.
The initiative begins with relationship-building and listening. We are meeting with community leaders to understand local priorities, barriers to Arts engagement, and opportunities for collaboration. These conversations are complemented by community meetups and listening sessions hosted at libraries, schools, and other accessible venues, providing residents the chance to share their interests, ideas, and preferred formats for arts experiences.
From this input, we will design pilot programs—including workshops, classes, pop-up events, and collaborative projects—that respond directly to community-identified needs. These pilots will be implemented in targeted areas, starting with Churchville, chosen for its central location and growing interest in Arts programming. Programs will be flexible in format, ranging from hands-on workshops to intergenerational events, ensuring broad appeal and participation.
Rural Arts Initiative:
The Staunton Augusta Art Center is in the process of revamping its Rural Arts Initiative to more effectively serve communities across Augusta County. Recognizing the geographic spread and unique needs of rural areas, we are taking a phased, community-driven approach to ensure programs are relevant, accessible, and sustainable.
The initiative begins with relationship-building and listening. We are meeting with community leaders to understand local priorities, barriers to Arts engagement, and opportunities for collaboration. These conversations are complemented by community meetups and listening sessions hosted at libraries, schools, and other accessible venues, providing residents the chance to share their interests, ideas, and preferred formats for arts experiences.
From this input, we will design pilot programs—including workshops, classes, pop-up events, and collaborative projects—that respond directly to community-identified needs. These pilots will be implemented in targeted areas, starting with Churchville, chosen for its central location and growing interest in Arts programming. Programs will be flexible in format, ranging from hands-on workshops to intergenerational events, ensuring broad appeal and participation.
Public Art:
The Staunton Augusta Art Center is actively expanding its public art initiatives to bring engaging, accessible Art into the heart of the community. This year, we are working with the City of Staunton to unveil a series of public sculptures in city micro-parks, enhancing everyday public spaces while showcasing regional Artists. In partnership with the Lewis Creek Watershed Advisory Committee, we are also developing a series of storm drain murals designed to educate residents about the impact of local waterways and the importance of protecting the watershed ecosystem.
A highlight of our community-driven projects is the Wharf Picnic Table initiative. This project was developed in response to the temporary closure of the Wharf due to structural issues with underground tunnels, and it served as a way to revitalize the area while democratizing the use of public spaces. The Art Center issued an open call for designs to be painted on picnic tables, resulting in 26 submissions from local Artists. The final designs were determined entirely by public vote, which engaged nearly 2,000 community members. Following the vote, the public joined hands-on workshops to paint and complete the picnic tables, ensuring that the community played a direct role in both the design, choice, and execution of the project. The tables now provide functional, visually engaging gathering spaces while reflecting community creativity and investment in their public environment.
In addition to outdoor projects, we maintain rotating exhibitions in City Hall, providing Artists with high-visibility opportunities while enriching public spaces with professional-quality Art. Looking ahead, we are working with the City to establish a citywide Arts Council. The council will serve as a collaborative platform for Artists, cultural organizations, and municipal partners to coordinate initiatives, secure resources, and expand public engagement. One of the council’s first objectives will be to revive the downtown Art Walk, an initiative that previously stalled due to the limited number of galleries and reluctance from local restaurants to participate. With the council in place, the Art Walk can be reimagined with broader participation and expanded components, incorporating music, theater, and other performing Arts alongside visual Art.