With new Executive Director Joy Yost coming in last year , a new vision is taking shape and being realized . The building has been going through some major renovations and much needed updates . These have been made possible through grant moneys , patron donations , the board of directors , staff members and the arts center ’ s constant champion , the Moultrie Service League .
Yost hit the ground running in January of last year and by March , the Wright Auditorium had been redone from ceiling to floor , the administrative offices were moved and renovated and the west wing of the building was on its way to transforming into the new Education Wing . The renovations have also included establishing a gallery for the center ’ s permanent collection , the dance studio , adding practice rooms for instruments and , generally , cleaning out and organizing everything inside the building .
However , one of the biggest renovation projects was moving the Kaleidoscope Museum , which was established in 2000 by the Moultrie Service League , from the back of the West Wing to the front , at the main entrance to the wing . The new vision of the interactive children ’ s museum is a project that is being funded by the Service League again .
“ That ’ s their brainchild , their ideas , their vision for the space and then they ’ re giving to make that happen ,” Yost said in an earlier interview .
Securing funding for the project actually began in 2015- 2016 , when Ashley Goss was president , and for the next seven years the league ’ s presidents would contribute the league ’ s excess funds to the growing pool of money . They met their goal for the new children ’ s museum during 2022-2023 and went to work .
“ In the 2022-2023 year , President Carrie Lassetter added a new project / fundraiser with the creation and sale of ‘ Moultrie Masterpieces : A Local Art Collective .’ She and Erin Ricks collaborated on this 276 pages coffee table book to bring it to life ,” stated the Moultrie Service League . “ We specially earmarked proceeds from book sales for upcoming capital improvements of the Arts Center . In total , we raised over $ 86,000 , surpassing our goal by over $ 37,000 . The excess funds enabled us to complete projects far beyond our original goals and budget for the year .”
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