The Arts Center inspires creativity and contributes to community well-being through equitable access to and engagement with the visual arts. We collaborate to offer exhibitions, learning opportunities, artist development, and cultural events centered on art, artists and art enthusiasts in the greater Corvallis area.

The Arts Center is conveniently located in downtown Corvallis close to many dining options and within a 10-minute walk to the Oregon State campus and the Willamette River: 700 SW Madison Avenue, Corvallis, Oregon 97333

Our Galleries and ArtShop are open Tuesday – Saturday, 12 – 5 PM. Admission is FREE and open to all and donations are gladly accepted.

On weekdays, we can be reached by a number of the Free Corvallis Transit Service (CTS) buses arriving at the Downtown Transit Center, located two blocks away at 6th and Monroe Streets.

Two-hour parking is available on the west side of the building (accessed by turning east from 8th Street onto Madison Ave), and on the east side of the building on 7th Street (these spaces are accessed by turning west from 6th Street onto Madison Ave).

Ramp access for those using mobility equipment is available at the rear (South) entrance of the building. NOTE: it was built prior to ADA standards, please ring the doorbell for assistance.

Commitment to Justice, Equity & Transparency

In 1960s the grassroots, innovative effort of artists, civic leaders, and university art departments was quite radical: they set out to establish the Corvallis Arts Council as the first community-based arts organization in the State of Oregon, and 27th in the United States. We changed our name to The Arts Center in 2008 with the goal of becoming inclusive of all people seeking connections to the arts.  

Since 2020 The Arts Center is in an organization-wide process of examination, learning and change to address discriminatory policies, dominant cultural practices, and decision-making systems with the goal of becoming a just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive arts organization. We are actively working to embed justice, equity, and transparency into every level of our organization. We invite individuals who share our commitment to this goal to join our team and to help shape a more just and equitable future for our organization as well as for the communities we serve.

Systems Changes To-Date:

  • Mission review and revisions to place equity at the forefront
  • Board, staff, volunteer position descriptions, and search/selection process revised
  • Instituted OPEN Calls to Artists and for Leadership and Volunteer positions with transparent criteria processes
  • MOUs for collaborative co-creation of projects/programs with community partners
  • Bylaws and Policy Review and Revisions
  • Approved Diversity Initiative with program, marketing and development SMART goals to expand equitable access to the arts.

In 2023, our 60th Birthday “Expressions of Community” Year celebrates community creativity that drives our city and region.

Read more: 2022 Mid-Year Impact Report

The Unfolding of an Idea, a brief history of The Arts Center as shared by founding member, Marion Gathercoal.

To learn more, contact Executive Director, Cynthia Spencer-Hadlock .

Memberships, donations, and volunteers make all of this possible!

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