Art House was founded in St Paul’s West 7th neighborhood in 2011 to foster Creative Community for the Common Good. Inspired by our friends and mentors, Charlie Peacock and Andi Ashworth, and their Art House community in Nashville, and Dallas, we set out to find a place at the intersection of faith, art, and community. It was at Charlie and Andi’s kitchen table that we first heard the story of the Cellist of Sarajevo, and about his protest of beauty during the Bosnian war. Charlie said, “It is easy to stand at the edge of a bombed out crater and talk about how deep it is, whose fault it is, how it got there. It takes a generative person to climb down into the rubble and build something, have a dream, play a song.” Art House North is our song in this world.
This year, Art House North was a place of rest, retreat, and encouragement to many through the rhythms of our artist groups (Visual Arts, Open Write Night, A Little Light On A Dark Night, Show and Tell), community events (Annual Square Dance, AHN Journeys pilgrimage to the UK, Art House Live), and community partnerships (Bucket Brigade Theater, Skapa counseling, Bailey Builds, AHN Songwriter Workshop and many more). After traveling a great deal this fall, I came home to an artist event at AHN. I was enough removed from things to feel what people might feel when they come down into the lower level for the first time - bookshelves glowing, fireplace on, food lining the pass through window, people chatting - it was a wonderful, warm welcome, and I was extremely grateful for the many people who make good use of Art House North on a regular basis. In addition to our regular AHN programming, the building is in use week in and week out as an affordable space for neighborhood gatherings, funerals, weddings, community events, and church. It is a haven to many.
We continue to ask ourselves what our community needs at this time, and are excited to carry this light forward into 2026.
We believe that beauty matters, and that community really matters, and when the two are joined, there is a renewal of faith and hope, a sense of belonging and shared humanity. Basically, creative community for the common good! Thank you for your support in the past and into the future!
Sara and Troy Groves