Patrons in the Schack Art Center in a photo provided by the center.
Courtesy Schack Art Center
EVERETT — A local arts group just turned 50.
The Schack Art Center, which is now a modern facility in downtown Everett, started in 1974 by a group of artists and advocates in a much different form.
With an idea, support, and lots of ambition, the Arts Council of Snohomish County was once only a group of artists looking to find ways to expand accessible arts programming throughout the community. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the Arts Council began to add additional programming and raise money for scholarships. In the 1990s it worked to develop more accessibility to art in education and amongst incarcerated youth.
This effort and growth led the Arts Council to look for its own studio space.
“That brings us to the mid-2000s,” Aaron Sheckler, Marketing and Communications Manager of the Schack Art Center, said. “They (the Arts Council) started a capital campaign to raise money and put that together.”
After 27 years, the Arts Council of Snohomish County took on a new name when it found its brick-and-mortar home: The Schack Art Center. The name comes from John and Idamae Schack, who were big supporters of the project.
“The Arts Council (of Snohomish County) now does business as the Schack Art Center,” Sheckler said. “So really, it (the Schack Art Center) is still the Arts Council of Snohomish County.”
By opening this studio at 2921 Hoyt Ave., this organization was able to expand significantly.
“In 2011 we opened our doors and expanded our programming with working artist studios including a glass-blowing hot shop, art classes, and expanded art education programming,” the Schack’s Executive Director Judy Tuohy said. “Program expansion, more art opportunities, and the amazing new facility all contributed to nearly doubling our operating budget since we opened in 2011. We built our art center to allow our visitors a chance to see amazing art, buy local art, and watch the creative process throughout the center.”
The organization and its goals have remained the same for the past 50 years, eliciting a half-of-a-century celebration.
In honor of all of this growth, the Schack Art Center hosted a handful of events to celebrate during the second weekend in October including an anniversary party, open studios and art activities, and an art unveiling. This was an unveiling of the “50-years, 100-artists” exhibit in its downtown Everett studio which closes this week on Saturday, Nov. 9.
“We curated the exhibit by inviting artists who have been with our organization over the years and while we could not reach all and some have passed on, we are happy to have the broad representation that the exhibit has,” Tuohy said. “Our goal was to show our community the broad diversity and high caliber of artists in our community who have helped shape our organization over the years.”
With almost 500 people in attendance for the opening of the anniversary exhibition along with the Arts Council’s first board president from 1975, William Monlux, it was truly a walk down memory lane. Monlux is now 93 years old but still has plenty of stories and memories to share about the Arts Council from 50 years ago.
Now, the Arts Council has 12 board members and countless staff. Tuohy has served as the executive director since 1994.
“She (Tuohy) guides us and keeps things moving forward,” Sheckler said. “She has seen it all.”
With its strong leadership and proud supporters, the Schack Art Center looks forward to another successful 50 years.
The Schack’s milestones
- 1974: Formation of the Arts Council of Snohomish County
- 1975: Officially becomes a nonprofit
- 1981: First H’Arts Benefit Auction
- 1982: Begins displaying art in a storefront in heart of Everett’s downtown
- 1991: Begins an art program in the Denney Juvenile Justice Center, still running today
- 2003: Received donation of a former Weyerhaeuser mill site, sold in 2005 as seed money
- 2004: Fresh Paint “live art” demonstration event expands to two days
- 2009: Groundbreaking of the site of the Schack Art Center
- 2011: Schack Art Center’s grand opening April 30 and May 1.
- 2012: Begins monthly Teen Art Night
- 2022: Schacktoberfest blown glass program restarts
More dates on the Schack’s 50th anniversary web page at www.schack.org/schack50
