Harmer's Town Art Center raises over $1.1 million for design and construction of art facility and park in Havre de Grace

Tony Roberts, The Aegis, Bel Air, Md.
·2 min read

May 5—Harmer's Town Art Center, Inc., has raised more than $1.1 million for the design and construction of a regional art facility and park in historic downtown Havre de Grace in its first year as a nonprofit, the organization announced in a news release. The funding came from grants and partnerships with the state, county and city government.

"Since receiving federal recognition as a nonprofit in May 2021, Harmer's Town Art Center has worked tirelessly to form partnerships at all levels of government and to spread its vision of creating a unique destination that will bring together the arts, history and community at a centralized location within the heart of the city's vibrant arts district," the organization said in the news release.

According to the organization, the Lower Susquehanna Heritage Greenway provided $5,000 through the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority Grant Program for concept renderings of Graw Alley at Harmer's Town Art Center. The mayor and City Council of Havre de Grace provided $15,000 for operational assistance and have pledged to help in preparing the site for construction.

Harford County Executive Barry Glassman presented a check for $200,000 to the organization's board of directors in March to be used for the construction and transformation of Graw Alley from a formerly unused alleyway into an interactive art park, according to a news release.

Gov. Larry Hogan included $700,000 in the state budget for Harmer's Town Art Center and the Maryland General Assembly in April approved $200,000 in bonding for the project, according to the news release.

Upon completion, Harmer's Town Art Center will offer visitors an opportunity to peruse galleries, engage with artists, take classes and participate in makerspace workshops to prepare their own creations. Visitors will also be able to tour a museum of Havre de Grace history, purchase artwork and souvenirs in a gift shop and spend time in the Graw Alley mural park.

Harmer's Town Art Center, Inc., was created to develop, support and promote a vibrant ecosystem of creativity in the form of an art center, artist park, and associated facilities in which artists can live, work, create, perform and market their art, the organization said on its website. The nonprofit organization was created to manage and oversee the vision and the complex. Currently, the complex is in development, but the organization has done research, planning, design and has begun property renovation, the organization said on its website.