The Centerville Arts Commission started in 1973 with the belief that the arts are for everyone.
The Centerville City Council created the commission to work closely with the community resources and public works departments to provide art-related knowledge and expertise, represent Centerville community desires, review plans, make recommendations to staff, assist in implementation and oversee and provide staffing for art-related events and programs.
Jim Collins has served as the chair of the Centerville Arts Commission for the past 13 years. He explains that the main purpose is to provide the people of Centerville access to experience visual and performing arts in their hometown.
“The Centerville Arts Commission is heavily involved in all the city’s events and many art programs, such as the Centerville Police Department Gallery, which hosts a new artist’s work monthly,” Jim shares.
Featured artists display their work for one month and are also encouraged to host a reception during the time their work is on display. Jim emphasizes that they are always on the search for great artists to feature.
“We find artists through recommendations, exhibits we see elsewhere in the community and through artists themselves reaching out,” Kate Bostdorff, City of Centerville communications director tells us.
The Summer Concert Series at Stubbs Park is one of the commission’s most popular and well-attended events. The concerts were moved to St. Leonard’s CHI Living Communities in 2024 due to renovation work at Stubbs Park.
“We still received great crowds,” Jim notes. “We are excited that the park is reopening in May, just in time for the best bands ever. It wouldn’t be summer in Centerville without the sounds and terrific talent at Stubbs Park on Sunday nights.”
Jim believes the commission’s impact is seen in the summer concerts because they serve as a resource for arts programming by bringing in performers and artists that otherwise might never be available to families in the community.
This year, the commission partnered with the Miami Valley Community Concert Association (MVCCA) to host concerts at Sinclair Community College. They also initiated Friday night concerts each week, alternating between Uptown Centerville and Cornerstone Park.
“Grabbing an ice cream at Graeter’s or a glass of wine at Cooper’s Hawk and listening to great music is a boon to our city,” Jim expresses.
Other local favorites include the Fall Fest, Best of Centerville Art Contest and the Snap Centerville Photo Contest. Family-oriented pop-up events at Cornerstone Park are part of the commission’s seasonal activities.
“We had our first-ever Holiday Skylights drone show at Cornerstone Park in December with hot cocoa and cookies for all attendees,” Jim enthuses.
Although the commission’s focus is hometown events, arts commission member, artist and former Best of Centerville Art Contest winner Emily von Stuckrad-Smolinski recently expanded her creative reach to Washington, D.C. She helped decorate the White House for its 2024 holiday theme, “A Season of Peace and Light.”
Emily, who was notified that her application was accepted in October, focused on the blue room and China room. Emily’s work included stringing nearly 2,000 paper doves, decoupaging ornaments, creating displays and decorating trees.
“It was an honor to be part of this historic event,” Emily said in an interview for the city’s website. “Sometimes, while decorating, I’d have these pinch-me moments, realizing I was standing where history was made.”
Some of Centerville’s hometown plans for 2025 will include the new event center at Benham’s Grove, which is slated to complete construction in May. The new event center will be a 6,000-square-foot building with a main event space, an outdoor terrace, a bridal wing, a groom’s area and a warming kitchen. Significant investments are being made in the historic part of the campus, including renovating the Gerber House, cottage and barn and rebuilding the gazebo.
The Arts Commission includes 15 members who serve three-year terms. Volunteers are needed to perform a variety of tasks, including driving a golf cart for guests with mobility challenges, parking cars as they arrive and depart and helping at the city booth and tents with programs and giveaways at a variety of events throughout the community. Volunteer applications can be found online.
Jim’s passion for art and community drew him to work with the commission. He notes that the arts are vital to enriching the quality of life, bringing a community together and fostering creativity.
“Through performances, exhibits and events, the arts celebrate our shared history and culture while providing opportunities for self-expression and connection,” Jim says. “They also contribute to the local economy, attract visitors and enhance Centerville's reputation as a vibrant, welcoming place to live, work and play.”
For more information, visit CentervilleOhio.gov.
“It wouldn’t be summer in Centerville without the sounds and terrific talent at Stubbs Park…”
“Through performances, exhibits and events, the arts celebrate our shared history and culture…”