(Photo: The Gulfport Arts Center)
- Every exhibiting artist at The Gulfport Arts Center works one day a month in the gallery.
The Gulfport Arts Center is far more than a building—it’s a thriving reflection of the Gulf Coast’s artistic heartbeat and cultural spirit.
Located in The Carnegie Library, the storied building has stood for more than a century—108 years to be exact—since its construction in 1916. According to the State of Mississippi, it holds the distinction of being the first public library on the Mississippi Gulf Coast to receive funding from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation. The library was formally dedicated on November 20, 1916, and opened its doors to the public on April 3, 1917.
“It’s amazing to me that this building survived Katrina,” Carol Hutcherson said. Hutcherson is an exhibiting artist at the gallery, who also works at the gallery.
In fact, every exhibiting artist at The Gulfport Arts Center works one day a month in the gallery – so when you visit, you are always being welcomed by a local artist.
“I am a full-time multi-media artist,” she shared with a laugh. “I can finally say that now, as a retired public school art teacher who now gets to honor the urge to create whenever it strikes!”
The Gulfport Arts Center is a vibrant hub of artistic expression. And now, following a series of stunning renovations, the center is more ready than ever to embrace its role as the heartbeat of the Coast’s creative community.
For years, the center has served as a gathering place for artists, dreamers, and supporters of the arts. Whether you’re a professional painter, a curious tourist, or a local child picking up a brush for the first time, the center has offered an open door and an open heart. But like many institutions with deep roots, the building was beginning to show its age. That is, until a vision for revitalization took hold.
In early 2024, community leaders, local artists, and donors united with a shared mission to bring The Gulfport Arts Center back to its full potential. The renovations, completed this spring, were thoughtful and intentional. Original architectural features were preserved wherever possible, maintaining the center’s historic charm. At the same time, updates to lighting, flooring, and accessibility brought the building into the present, making it more welcoming, inclusive, and functional for the next generation of coastal creatives.
The gallery now radiates with natural light, illuminating thoughtfully curated exhibits that highlight the rich diversity of Gulf Coast artistry. From vivid oil paintings and handcrafted pottery to bold mixed-media works, each piece tells a story rooted in the region’s culture and spirit. Beyond the gallery walls, workshop spaces invite the community to learn, create, and connect through art.
The Gulfport Arts Center isn’t just about what hangs on the walls. It’s about the people who pass through its doors. The building’s renewal is more than a facelift—it’s a love letter to the creative spirit that runs through this community. In a place where history and hurricanes intertwine, art is more than just decoration. It’s healing. It’s connection. It’s home. For coastal Mississippi—an area that has seen more than its share of hardship and rebuilding—the center represents resilience, beauty, and the power of self-expression. While also inviting visitors to look beyond scenic coastlines and discover the soul of the Coast.
“The diversity of the art here is notable,” Hutcherson shared. “Every artist has a story to share through their work–don’t we all?”
And those stories are as diverse as the coastline itself. From shrimp boats to Mardi Gras beads, from storm recovery to sunsets, Gulfport’s artists reflect the many shades of life on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. And with the newly renovated space, the center can finally do justice to those expressions, giving them room to breathe, grow, and inspire.
Events at The Gulfport Arts Center are now drawing bigger crowds than ever. Workshops in everything from watercolor to photography are filling up weeks in advance, and partnerships with local schools mean that students across the region will have greater access to arts education than ever before.
“We recently hosted a student art show for the Gulfport School District,” Hutcherson said. “We wanted the students to feel what it’s like to be part of a real gallery. They were thrilled!”
In a world that often moves too fast, places like the Gulfport Arts Center encourage curiosity, patience, and joy. The center reminds us that art isn’t just a subject in school—it’s a language we all speak, in one way or another.
The revival of this epicenter of art is a testament to what’s possible when a community comes together with a shared belief in beauty, connection, and purpose. It’s a reminder that the arts are not a luxury, but a lifeline—especially on the Gulf Coast, where nature and history so often collide in ways both devastating and divine.
“People come from all over the country,” Hutcherson stated. “And every time the door opens, we get to show them a little piece of who we are.”
If you haven’t visited The Gulfport Arts Center recently, consider this your invitation. Take your children. Bring a friend. Support a local artist. Find yourself in a painting or a poem, or just enjoy the creations of local Mississippi artists. The space may be newly refreshed, but its spirit remains as vibrant and timeless as ever.
