Breaking Ground

The earth moved and the excitement began in Gulfport, Florida on June 1, 2007 with the ground breaking and construction of the Industrial Arts Center.

Years of planning were finally taking form as the state-of-the-art facility was coming to life in the heart of the Gulfport Art Village Courtyard.

The building is the only facility in the nation built exclusively as an industrial arts education center. Hours of research and design were essential to ensure a safe and modern facility with an ability to serve a wide variety of industrial arts. The exterior walls are solid concrete with fire-rated doors. A high-tech ventilation system exchanges the air in the building six times an hour to prevent fumes and heat accumulation for the safety of the artists. Plus a large electric panel was installed to accommodate existing equipment and future expansion.

The Industrial Arts building was built especially to complement the existing Gulfport Art Village Courtyard structures. The floor plan is designed to allow public view of artists working from a bleacher seating area outside the building.

Classes include Glass Blowing, Woodturning, Lampwork/Bead Making, Glass Fusing, Drum Building and Metal Smithing. Most of the equipment has been purchased and installed, including a large state of the art furnace for glass blowing. Master glass blower, Jackie Ballard will lead the team of artists as they share their creative knowledge and ignite the interest of inquisitive students.