WASECA — For more than three decades, the Waseca Art Center and the Waseca Arts Council have been a provider of the arts for the Waseca community.

Since organizing in 1976, it quickly went from being a traveling exhibit to moving into a storefront and then transferred to its current location at 410 State St. Even from the beginning, Executive Director Patricia Beckmann said the building space was too small.

“It was a very pleasant space with some nice skylights and the location was perfect, so we took it anyway,” said Beckmann.

Crammed inside the Art Center is a small exhibit area, a gift shop and office space for the four part-time staff, which includes Beckmann.

“We are in desperate need of space,” Beckmann said. “We are adding staff for more development in the education field. We are simply crammed for space.”

Beckmann said the Arts Council has been looking for a new space for the past two or three years and has even considered adding on to its existing building. But the organization has recently come across a family-owned home that is for sale two blocks from the Art Center at 610 N. State St.

“It would be a very desirable location for us and would give us quite quickly the amount of space we would really need,” she said.

Beckmann said it’s a little premature to know how much money the Arts Council will need to secure the property, but a committee has already formed to see how members can raise funds through a possible pledge drive this spring to acquire the property.

The house is listed on the real estate market for $429,500. Built in 1916, the house has 6,000 square feet of space and four floors, which includes the basement, five bedrooms, several decks, two sunrooms and a library.

According to Beckmann, the property would not require a great deal of renovation. She said the most work would be “immediately getting the gallery space up and running” and to make the building accessible.

“Our desire is to put all of the educational spaces in the basement area, the lower level,” Beckmann said.

On the main floor, the Art Center would display the permanent collection, as well as the gift shop and meeting lounge space.

“We would like to have a little coffee shop place where people could come and have coffee on the main floor,” she added.

The second floor would include an office and meeting space, plus the main gallery of temporary exhibits.

The property also includes a three-season outdoor building separate from the house that Beckmann said would be an ideal location for an educational space and a ceramic clay center.

“It would give us 10 times more visibility in the community,” said Beckmann. “It’s a beautiful, beautiful home, and it would lend itself well to being a public building.”

Despite the lack of space at the current location, Beckmann said the Waseca Arts Council and the Art Center currently run an art exhibit 12 months a year, as well as an arts appreciation series in the local school districts, which is primarily run by volunteers. The center also rotates a permanent display of artwork at 18 public spaces in Waseca.

But Beckmann said the organization would like to do more. Having been with the Arts Council for more than 30 years, Beckmann has seen firsthand the Art Center’s impact on Waseca, as well as neighboring communities, such as Owatonna, New Prague and Le Center.

“There is a great demand,” she said. “What we really want to do is encourage more classes and art education for children. We have been sorely lacking in that area because we are simply lacking the space.”

The Art Center’s weekly painting group has to meet in the gallery, which deters gallery visitors during class time.

“It’s just terrible,” Beckmann said. “This is a very pleasant space and pleasant gallery, but it’s just too small. There is just a great demand for more.”

Char Harguth, a 74-year-old Waseca resident, has been a participating member of the Art Center and Arts Council for about 25 years. She participates in the weekly painting group, as well as other programs.

“We don’t have space for supplies, (and) we don’t have space for much of a gift shop,” she said of the Waseca Arts Council. “All of our children’s classes are held in cramped quarters or outdoors during the summer when possible.”

Harguth said she would like to help promote and financially support the possible new space at 610 N. State St.

“It can provide a lot of adult classes and children’s classes, group meetings (and) poetry classes,” she said. “I am very enthusiastic about it, and we are all anxious to have more space to expand all of our programs.”



For information on donating or volunteering to help fundraise, contact Patricia Beckmann at patbeckmann@wasecaartscouncil.org or 507-835-1701.