2022 Was Our Biggest Year Yet.
Now We Need Your Help
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For nearly a decade, DAC has been building towards a community where Art thrives.
As a truly grassroots non-profit, we've had to get creative over the years as we worked to prove our worth and the worth of Local Artists as a whole.
We charge our Artist Members at-cost for resources, services, and opportunities and rely on our Events and Out of the Box DIY to generate the funds we need to sustain our programming.
This year, we invested heavily into our creative community beyond our normal programming
Art
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Artist Development
Since the very beginning, DAC has been dedicated to helping Artists elevate their creative careers & lifestyles.
We offer education, resources, opportunity, and connection to Artists at cost, giving them the ability to make their Art their main focus.
Art
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West Side Creative Market
At the beginning of 2022, we made major improvements to our very own open-air Arts Market in West Rehoboth.
With a brand new look and vastly improved design, we are able to connect Local Artists to thousands of guests a month during the Summer.
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When Artists have the skills, resources, & opportunities to grow thriving businesses, they can contribute to their communities in transformative ways.
The West Rehoboth Legacy Project
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Scroll Down To See What We've Been Up To.
Artists Are Our Mission.
As we continue to grow, our main priority will always be
Elevating Creative Careers & Lifestyles
Education. Development. Connection.
DAC provides Artist Members with opportunities to further their careers, skills & lifestyles throughout the year, including our Creative Career Support Program.
DAC's Studios on Terrace offers Private Studio Rentals, At-Cost Print Services & space for Connection Groups to come together.
- Hannah Whiddon
"Being involved with DAC has been the catalyst for my art career.
The community, support, motivation and professional opportunities have helped me build confidence as an artist.
I now have a full time art business that I am proud of and passionate about."
- Laura Erickson
"DAC fulfills my needs as an artist in so many different ways.
Along with connecting me with a strong and faithful customer base, I have met so many other talented artists that encourage and want the best for each other. Running an art business can feel isolating, but I don’t feel so alone thanks to the artists at DAC.
It’s like a little family which I just love"
- Mallory Weizbicki
Opportunities For Artists To Grow
Our Vendor Events give Artists a way to sell their Art to locals & visitors alike, but the impact doesn't stop there.
Every DAC Event features a wide array of Artists--musicians, bartenders, cooks, magicians, performers--who are paid to bring their skills to make our events what the community has come to expect!
These events continue to bring support to all of our Local Businesses.
West Side Creative Market
In 2022 we invested over $60,000 to completely transform this space, creating an elevated experience for our Artist Vendors and the thousands of guests who attended this year.
Not only does Creative Market give opportunities to Artists, it is a major vehicle for DAC to raise funds. We are able to provide our Members with at-cost programming through the money made off of drink, snack, merch, & DIY sales throughout the year.
Built For The Future of Art.
West Side Creative Market was upgraded this year to ensure that Art in our community has a place to call home for years to come.
This involved removing existing gravel & grading the lot, building a specially designed covered structure of 21 Artist booths, installing a well, new electrical connections, planting sod, and more!
The Impact Of Our Investment is Clear.
When DAC first moved to West Rehoboth, we were approached by Brenda Milbourne, who co-founded and leads the West Side New Beginnings West Children and Youth Program, along with Diaz Bonville
A relationship of education, understanding, and collaboration was born.
DAC learned about the history of West Rehoboth through Brenda, Diaz Bonville, and other community members, and with their direction, we began a plan to tell that story through Art.
"DAC and West Side New Beginnings, Inc have brought the community together by extending invitations to each other. Our relationship is forever."
- Brenda Milbourne
The Foundations Are Set.
In 2022, we spent most of our time and funds to build up the spaces, programming, and relationships that will allow us to focus on sustainable growth in 2023.
Check out our plans for 2023!
Artist Development
The foundation of our Artist Development model is Education, Connection, and Opportunities for any type of creative with a concentration on Emerging Artists.
- Launching a new Artist Hub that functions like a social media platform where Artists can access on-demand educational content, form group areas, participate in discussions via forums and direct messaging, & stay up to date on all the info they need.
- Launching our new Career Development program on The Hub that can be accessed on-demand.
- A larger focus on connection opportunities between Artists--groups, mentorships, mixers, and collaborative projects.
- Transforming our Studio building into an accessible communal workspace.
- Adding more tools and resources that Artists can rent or use at-cost or for free.
Out of The Box DIY
At the end of 2022, we opened The Artpothecary, a space where guests can create DIY Art while enjoying some drinks and our beautiful new space.
- We plan to use this space to house Artist led workshops. Artists will be able to present a workshop idea, and utilize the space to create with guests!
- We plan to continue to build the Acrylic Pour options, and start offering more custom options.
- We plan to continue to bring Out of The Box DIY to other community events throughout the year, raising funds, and spreading the word about our Organization.
Community Events
Our Events are a major way for us to provide Artists with opportunity, generate awareness of our mission, and raise funds for DAC. With the foundations built, we look to expand!
- Consistent (and more) weekly operating days at West Side Creative Market.
- Mondays & Fridays will feature Artist Vendors every week of the season.
- Wednesdays will be an opportunity for cultural events throughout the summer, bringing film screenings, comedy, open mic nights, theater, dance, and more to West Rehoboth consistently.
- We are working on plans for Saturday and Sunday Markets that feature the Creative Market Bar, Food Trucks, & Live Music, providing the community with a beautiful outdoor space to relax, eat, drink, and listen to our wonderful performers.
- We are planning for changes to TacoMania regarding capacity.
- We are planning to move Sip & Shop to an indoor location to prevent weather from affecting turn out and the safety of Artists' work.
Operations
2022 was the year of lessons and growth for our leadership team. We have let go two of our facilities as well as have made hard decisions to end certain programming that wasn't working.
We are a grass roots organization with a model unlike anything else so we are continuously working towards sustainability. Our focus for 2023 is to build upon our best practices as a non-profit and sustaining the incredible programming we have put in place.
We Need Your Support.
The growth we have achieved this year has been the result of a lot of hard work, but also, a lot of funding. Our goal is to never make money off of our Artist Members, so we rely solely on our revenue generating programming, grants, and the generous support of YOU, our community.