The Creamery Campaign

We Bought the Building!

After 20 years, the Creamery Arts Center has reached an incredible milestone: our building is officially in the Creamery’s name.

Owning our building gives the Creamery a permanent home and creates new possibilities for the future of the arts in the North Fork Valley. We are deeply grateful to everyone who helped make this possible.

But our work isn’t finished. The building was purchased with the help of a loan, and our capital campaign now turns toward paying down that debt and securing the Creamery’s future for generations to come.

Your support will help us protect this important community space while continuing to provide exhibitions, classes, creative opportunities, and a welcoming place for artists and community members to gather.

We bought the building. Now, together, we can secure its future.

Our 2026 Campaign Goal

This year’s fundraising supports both day-to-day operations and the first major steps in our three-year plan to buy the building.

Our campaign is built around three ways to give:

Legacy Builders

Secure Our Home
Goal: $165,000

Supports the costs required to protect and stabilize the building.

  • Down payment
  • Lease-to-own payment
  • Property taxes
  • Upkeep & maintenance

Legacy Builders help ensure the Creamery remains a creative home for generations.

Become a Legacy Builder. Support our campaign

Community Sustainers

Support Our People
Goal: $75,000

Supports the staff and leadership who make the Creamery run.

  • Executive Director
  • Staff
  • Business services & operations

In 2026, we’re seeking an Executive Director to help guide the Creamery into its next chapter.

Become a Community Supporter. Support our campaign

Creative Champions

Expand Studios & Programs
Goal: $15,600

Invests in creative spaces and educational programming.

  • Clay studio upgrades
  • Educational programs
  • Floor repair & paint

Creative Champions help keep the Creamery inspiring and accessible.

Become a Creative Champion. Support our campaign

Our Three-Year Ownership Plan

A Community Investment in the Future

Buying the Creamery is a three-year effort designed to ensure long-term stability.

Year 1 — Secure the Future

Total: $165,000

  • $50,000 Down Payment to finalize the purchase
  • $6,000 Lease-to-Own Payment
  • $8,000 Property Taxes
  • $5,000 Upkeep & Maintenance
  • $96,000 Building Principal Payment

Year 1 Focus: get the keys in hand, build momentum, and stabilize the organization as we transition to ownership.

Year 2 — Stabilize & Strengthen

Total: $115,000

  • $6,000 Lease-to-Own Payment
  • $8,000 Property Taxes
  • $5,000 Upkeep & Maintenance
  • $96,000 Building Principal Payment

Year 2 Focus: strengthen operations, improve the building, and continue expanding programs for youth and adults.

Year 3 — Complete the Purchase

Total: $115,000

  • $6,000 Lease-to-Own Payment
  • $8,000 Property Taxes
  • $5,000 Upkeep & Maintenance
  • $96,000 Building Principal Payment

Year 3 Focus: complete the purchase, build reserves for future repairs, and invest in long-term improvements.

This three-year ownership plan is a working draft, shared in the spirit of transparency. As we move forward—finalizing financing, learning together, and responding to community input—we’ll continue to refine and update it. We’re committed to keeping this process open, clear, and grounded in what’s best for the Creamery and the community it serves.

We Need You!

Your support helps to:

  • Protect a beloved community arts center
  • Preserve an historic Bridge Street building
  • Support local artists, classes, and youth programs
  • Build long-term stability for arts and culture in the North Fork Valley

You’re not just supporting a campaign—you’re helping write the next chapter of What the Creamery Means to Me.

“What the Creamery Means to Me”

This year’s theme celebrates the voices that make this place what it is.
Every donation, volunteer hour, and shared story adds another brushstroke to the collective portrait of the Creamery.

When you give, you’re not just funding a building — you’re investing in belonging, creativity, and the shared belief that small towns can do big things through art.

Join us as a Legacy Builder, Community Sustainer, or Creative Champion — and help write the next chapter of What the Creamery Means to Me.

Susie Alexander talking art with a patronIra Houseweart blacksmithing demoCeramic artist Gail Fiske at the pottery wheelTwo kids at the pottery wheelsLisa Fairbank and Loretta Columbia in conversation over artStudent applying red paint to gel plate