ABOUT
The Cultural Arts Center is a non-profit organization established in May 2002 to connect the Arts to our Community. Housed in the old Southside Elementary School, the Center has been renovated to become the home for 5 other arts organizations in the Wiregrass, providing a venue for talented artists to gather and perform, and a home for providing exposure to the arts to underserved children and seniors. These organizations through their performances, classes, and workshops help to enrich the lives of the citizens of Dothan and the surrounding communities.
The Center is home to the Southeast Alabama Community Theatre (SEACT) and their youth component SEACT Student Company, the Tri-State Community Orchestra (TCO) and their youth component the Wiregrass Youth Symphony (WYSO), Providence Christian School Drama departments (PCS), Dothan Ballroom Dance Club (DBRDC) and a variety of local dance instructors. Each organization has their own Board of Directors, staff, volunteers, and programs. Information on each of these organizations can be found on their websites.
The Cultural Arts Center the ORGANIZATION has their own series of classes, camps and workshops for children and adults on site at the center in the renovated 5th grade wing we now call "THE MESSY SPACE STUDIO". Here we create, grow, explore, and experiment with visual arts, clay arts, textile arts, dance and music. We also take programs off site to various schools, senior centers, youth child care facilities, and housing areas.
The Center is funded through generous contributions of individuals and businesses in the community, fundraising events private donations, grants and foundation support.
The Center has helped more than 5,000 children to explore many different arts disciplines through the Dothan City School and Houston County Schools as a partner to bring the arts into academics during the school day.
​
​OUR DIRECTOR

Ann Cotton, Executive Director of the Cultural Arts Center has over 40 years in programming and facility management for children and has a strong networking system in our community to bring to the table partnerships that can build children's capacities to learn. She currently acts as the Center's Facilities Manager, Landlord, Organizational Administrator, Grant Writer, Program Director, and Counselor. Her goal is to work hard to provide programs that help children and adults explore the arts, find their talents, and give encouragement to them to pursue. She works tirelessly "Connecting Art and Community"
​