ArtServe

ArtServe has operated out of its building on East Sunrise Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale since being incorporated as a Florida nonprofit in 1988, and it fills a role that’s a little different from a typical gallery or theater: it exists mainly to support other artists and small arts organizations rather than to present its own fixed collection or company. The organization describes itself as an arts and culture incubator for Broward County, and in practice that means the building houses a rotating set of gallery exhibitions, a theater space used for performances and community events, classes and workshops, and affordable office and studio space for individual artists and small nonprofit arts groups who need a place to work and grow without paying commercial real estate rates.

The gallery side of ArtServe is open to the public and changes shows regularly, with past and current exhibitions covering everything from group shows spotlighting Broward artists to themed exhibitions tied to environmental or social topics. Because ArtServe isn’t tied to a single medium or genre the way a dedicated art museum or theater company is, the programming tends to be broader and more experimental than what you’d find at a traditional institution, and it’s a good stop if you’re interested in seeing what emerging or lesser known South Florida artists are working on rather than an established permanent collection.

Beyond exhibitions, ArtServe runs a full calendar of classes and workshops aimed at both artists looking to build business and technology skills and community members interested in taking an art class for its own sake, and it hosts the annual ArtServe Impact Awards recognizing contributions to the local arts community. The building’s theater and event spaces are also available for rental, which helps fund the organization’s programs and gives local arts groups and community organizations an affordable venue option that isn’t a hotel ballroom or a for profit event space.

ArtServe keeps fairly generous public hours for a nonprofit arts organization: the gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 6pm and Saturday from 10am to 6pm, while the administrative offices keep more standard business hours Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm. Because the building serves so many different functions, from artist studios and offices to gallery and theater space, it’s worth calling ahead if you’re coming specifically for an exhibition, since gallery hours can be affected by private events, rehearsals, or workshops using the shared space on a given day. The building sits on Sunrise Boulevard between downtown and the beach, an area with fairly easy street parking, making it a manageable stop whether you’re headed to or from the beach. Admission to browse the galleries during open hours doesn’t require a ticket, though individual classes and workshops carry their own fees, and event admission for things like the Impact Awards is ticketed separately.