The Highlands Art League is planning an artist village on the shores of beautiful Lake Jackson in Sebring, Florida. The artist village site is adjacent to the Alan Altvater Cultural Complex at the end of West Center Avenue allowing easy inclusion in this already successful area. The preset complex includes the Highlands Museum of the Arts, Highlands Little Theater, the County Library, and the Historical Society.

The City of Sebring owns the property and is leasing it to the Highlands Art League to create this exciting village. We are delighted to have a community and city officials with a vision for the future and interest in the Arts!

We are restoring four buildings on this site to house a Fine Art and Craft Gift Shop, extended classroom space, plus artist studios and gallery space for rent. We are planning some form of Artist in Residency program to encourage fine artists and craftsmen to join us for extended periods of time. There will be many opportunities for artists to sell, exhibit, and teach their art in this exciting new extension of our cultural family.

The goal of the Highlands Art League Legacy Club is to insure the growth of our services to the community. Our primary objective is to create an atmosphere where artists and visitors alike can enjoy art in its many forms. The Woodcarvers group want to rent permanent space from us and would allow the public to watch them while they carve. We anticipate more artists renting work and gallery space making the village an exciting place to visit

This summer our Children's Art Camps have been a great success, but in the fall our classrooms are already booked with adult classes, leaving no room for the children. The artist village will solve many of our problems. We could provide year round classes for children, a gift shop, a permanent clay room and more extensive exhibit space.

The potential economic impact this complex could have on the city and the county is immeasurable. Tourists visiting the Village could stay to visit stores and attractions in the rest of the county. The increased traffic in the downtown area of Sebring will surely benefit other businesses. A venue for artisans to sell their work locally will benefit the artists as well as giving the local customer an alternative to traveling out of the county to shop for fine arts and crafts. The synergistic effect of this project together with existing and future cultural facilities in the county will contribute to the appeal of Highlands County.

By joining our Legacy Club and pledging funds for the next 5 years, the Art League will have the funds to restore the Artist Village and to maintain and grow the facility.

We are thrilled with the donations that have been arriving at the museum every week! Every commitment is important if we are to proceed with this worthwhile project.