Our History
About the Arts Association of East Alabama
Our mission is to deliver exciting cultural experiences to East Alabama by creating innovative programs that stimulate public interest, enhance learning through creative expression, and build lasting community support for the arts.
1965
The Opelika Arts Association, an amateur painting club, is founded by the first art teacher in the Opelika School system, Roslyn Stern.
A partnership with the Opelika City Board of Education sets the stage for the development of the Performance Series to provide programming for the newly built 1200-seat Opelika Center for the Performing Arts.
1987
The Association joins the prestigious John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Partners in Education program. This collaboration empowers local K-12 teachers with professional arts development that enriches classrooms across the region.
1996
In collaboration with the City of Opelika, the historic Opelika Depot undergoes a $480,000 restoration. This landmark becomes the new home for the Arts Association.
1998
A commitment to excellence leads to a major $450,000 technical overhaul of the Performing Arts Center. This investment ensures that every production meets the highest standards of modern professional theater.
2001
To better serve a growing regional audience, the organization officially becomes The Arts Association of East Alabama, reflecting a mission that reaches far beyond city limits.
2007
In collaboration with Envision Opelika and the Alabama State Council on the Arts, Southside Elementary is transformed into the Southside Center for the Arts. This historic facility includes visual arts exhibit space and a 300-seat auditorium, and quickly becomes the home for the Civic Chorale’s weekly rehearsals.
2012
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Southside Center looks for new ways to support local creative groups and welcomes the Auburn Knights Orchestra to the space.
2020
The Southside Center gets a new name: The Barbara H. Patton Southside Center for the Arts, in honor of the first female mayor of Opelika.