Crealdé School of Art completes $425,000 expansion with new studio spaces
As Crealdé School of Art approaches its 50th anniversary, the Winter Park organization is celebrating the completion of an expansion project that includes new studio space.
The $425,000 renovation yielded five new teaching studios at Crealdé’s main campus, including a sculpture classroom, a second ceramics studio and dedicated teaching studios for the jewelry and young artists programs.
“Three years ago, there were 120-130 ceramics students. Now, there are 250-270. Ten years ago, there were not even 100,” said Peter Schreyer, Crealdé’s executive director, noting the growth of the ceramics program that helped inspire this project. “People love traditional arts that don’t involve technology or computers, things that can be done with their hands or things that have been based on the traditions of people all over the world.”
The project was made possible with financial support from 149 students and members, plus a $100,000 grant from the State of Florida and a $75,000 grant from Dr. Phillips Charities. Winter Park-based construction company E2, led by founder and owner Rob Smith, spearheaded the project. Smith remembered attending Crealdé summer art camp as a child and contributed more than $200,000 worth of in-kind support in materials and services toward the expansion.
Though this project was in the works before the pandemic, the effort was fast-tracked in response to rapid growth in the post-COVID era. Crealdé’s waiting list for classes jumped from a total of 899 in 2022 to 1,091 by the end of 2023. Ceramics has proven to be an especially popular area of study.
“This kind of artwork has been done for thousands of years. Some pieces have been found at the bottom of the ocean or in the American West, covered up with sand for 500 years,” Schreyer said. “I think there’s an emotional human connection with all that. So many of our students are not just coming here to learn an art; they’re coming to be with other people and share common interests. It’s therapeutic for them.”
A record 865 enrolled students from seven counties attended the school’s winter session, which utilized the new studio spaces. The project was completed over six months without disrupting classes or workshops.
As the Winter Park art school prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary, former board member and long-time supporter William (Bill) Platt has offered a generous donation to create a new woodworking and metal-smithing studio in the next several years.
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