THE LITTLE RED SCHOOLHOUSE CENTER FOR THE FINE ARTS

The Little Red Schoolhouse was built in 1912 on the site of a one-room school in what was then Middleburg Township. It was used as a school, Berea District 7, until 1923. From June 1923 the building stood empty and very neglected. In the fall of 1935, Berea Fine Art Club acquired the building during a public auction. It was used during WWII as a recreation center for servicemen. The schoolhouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

In 1980, it changed hands again and became home for Berea's Jaycees. In September 1998, The Berea Little Red Schoolhouse Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization comprised of representatives of Berea’s Jaycees, the original Berea Fine Art Club and Berea City government was formed to preserve and restore the building.

In 2006, The Foundation, in partnership with Southwest 7 Arts LLC, developed a plan to revitalize the schoolhouse facility as a fine art center to offer affordable fine art courses to the surrounding communities and generate sustaining income to preserve and restore the aging structure.

PROFESSIONAL FINE ART INSTRUCTION

The Berea Little Red Schoolhouse Foundation has contracted Sw7 Arts to create and implement a community art center at the facility.

Sw7 Arts is an artist-driven organization with a personal investment and determination to create an art center at the schoolhouse to provide an affordable and valuable service to the community at large.

The management and instructional team is formed by three active professional artists with diverse levels of experience in art instruction and for-profit and non-profit business administration.

Ken McCarthy is a local professional photographer and business owner with deep roots in the Berea community. Mr. McCarthy has taught different art subjects such as calligraphy and photography at several local venues.

Augusto Bordelois’ artwork has been awarded, exhibited and collected nationally and internationally. As an artist in residence, he has taught sculpture, classical drawing and painting at many schools in the area. Augusto is also a teaching artist and member of Young Audiences of Northeast Ohio and the Ohio Arts Council.

Barbara Kaplysh is a professional clay artist and worked in the Berea School System for 30 years as an art teacher and curriculum developer. Ms. Kaplysh has been and is a member of the board of trustees and committees of many community organizations in the area.

Associate instructors will be subcontracted by Sw7 Arts based on the artistic quality of their work and their ability to teach. All our instructors undergo a background check.

HALL AVAILABLE FOR RENT

(440) 234 5777