River Art Works

River Art Works began in August 2018 with a bold vision of establishing a comprehensive art and creative technology retreat/campus, complemented by education in the business aspects of art. Our own research backs up the need to build a hub, a campus, that supports artists and art organizations alike. Self-sustainability will be in the form of tourism. Opening the galleries, gardens, sleeping quarters, performance areas, and commissary to the public for income is the goal. We continuously work toward accomplishing this goal. Acknowledging the significance of investing in future generations, in 2020 we directed our efforts towards establishing connections with youth, recognizing them as the future artists and leaders. We developed ArtTEK for TEENS, a high school level program that centers on creative tecchnology education: 3D Print, Drone and Video editing, Holograms Established Westmoreland Arts Coalition 2023 exposed a dire need to quickly begin strengthening the arts community as a whole. After the “hub” was abandoned, Westmoreland and surrounding areas lost 30% of art organizations with two more on the verge of extinction. Our artists are not keeping up with international trends. Colleges that teach the arts are not requiring any business classes. Yet, 34% of artist are entrepreneurs. This needs to reverse. That is the goal of River Art Works.