On June 30, Canton community members joined EN-RICH-MENT and the Bluecoats in celebrating the grand opening of the EN-RICH-MENT Arts Center in Canton, OH. The EN-RICH-MENT Arts Center project was announced last year and was a joint effort between the EN-RICH-MENT team, the Bluecoats, and stakeholders throughout the City of Canton. Below, you'll find the full press release on the grand opening of the EN-RICH-MENT Arts Center put out by the Bluecoats last week:

“What a joyful day!” said Betty Smith, founder & Executive Director of EN-RICH-MENT. “You have worked tirelessly and dedicated your time, energy, and resources to this project. Why? Because you believe in EN-RICH-MENT and have a passion for our youth and our community.”

Last Sunday the Bluecoats organization celebrated the grand opening of the newly-completed EN-RICH-MENT Arts Education Center. After a $2mm renovation and repurposing project, the new center is now the permanent home of the free after-school, weekend, and summer programming of Bluecoats’ affiliate EN-RICH-MENT.

Hundreds of supporters, donors, foundations, and contractors gathered for the ribbon cutting ceremony, which concluded with a joint concert by the world-renowned Bluecoats Drum & Bugle Corps and the EN-RICH-MENT drumline.

“Throughout this entire process I have been keenly aware of the incredible impact that this campaign will have on the young people of Canton,” said Mike Scott, CEO. “...but it wasn’t until I saw the EN-RICH-MENT kids and Bluecoats kids playing, laughing, and performing together that tears came. What an incredible ‘win’ for these kids, and for Canton’s future!”

Along with remarks by Ms. Smith and Mr. Scott, those in attendance heard from Ted Swaldo, Director Emeritus of Bluecoats, campaign chair, and the general contractor of the project. Mr. Swaldo thanked the foundations, families, individual donors, and the many contractors and construction companies that further donated hundreds of thousands of dollars of in-kind support to the project.

While final campaign totals are still trickling in, the $1.75mm campaign goal has certainly been exceeded, and the final totals are expected to exceed $2.2mm.

The facility, which was formerly a Ziegler Tire service depot, now features three multi-purpose classrooms, four private practice and lesson studios, two music ensemble rooms, a state-of-the-art dance studio, art studio, and even a teaching kitchen. The EN-RICH- MENT staff moved into new office spaces in the building last month. The building was renovated by Bluecoats, which holds a long-term lease from ArtsinStark for the property.

The Arts Education Center sits on the campus of the Cultural Center for the Arts and amidst the brand new ArtsinStark Park. “From the outset of this project, ArtsinStark, Bluecoats and EN-RICH-MENT agreed that the best place for these young people remains on the Cultural Center Campus, and our arrangement with ArtsinStark includes programming access to the Cultural Center and park facilities.”

During the remarks, Mr. Scott, Mr. Swaldo, and Ms. Smith commented on future plans for the Bluecoats and EN-RICH-MENT affiliation which will focus on continuing to expand access to this life-changing programming and cultivating sustainability and longevity for the fourteen year old youth services non-profit.

Later in the evening, the Bluecoats organization honored two outstanding donors and contractors on the project with the organization’s annual Champion Award. Jeff Doll of Jeff’s Motorcars and Darren Elliott of RT Hampton were honored for their outsized in-kind contributions and personal leadership on the project in a ceremony downtown, during Bluecoats Party in the Plaza.

About Bluecoats - Founded in 1972, Bluecoats is a 501(c)3 non-profit performing arts education organization known around the world for the Bluecoats Drum & Bugle Corps, The Blue Way Educational Events, the Bluecoats Fellowship, Rhythm IN BLUE, and more. Bluecoats brings performing arts education to thousands of aspiring young musicians in Stark County and around the globe. For more information, visit bluecoats.com/about.

About EN-RICH-MENT - EN-RICH-MENT is a Canton, OH based arts education non-profit, founded in 2012. It offers music lessons, instruments, workshops, training, art, cooking, dance, choir, garden, keyboard, media production, theater and drumline to youth ages 5 to 18. In 2023 the organization became an affiliate of Bluecoats. The youth services non-profit was founded by Executive Director, Betty Smith. Learn more at en-rich-ment.org

About the EN-RICH-MENT Arts Education Center - Completed in 2024, the EN-RICH-MENT Arts Education Center is a dedicated home for the free after-school, weekend, and summer music, arts, and life-skills programming of EN-RICH-MENT. The former tire shop and service depot was refitted by Bluecoats thanks to the a successful ~$2m Building A Future campaign led by the organization. Through their affiliation, EN-RICH-MENT will operate its programming from this brand new space in the hopes that the impact of this life-changing programming continues to grow.