The community nonprofit Fraser Valley Arts announced Cassidi Peterson as its director and first full-time employee. Peterson, a Fraser Valley local since 2001, will guide the development and completion of a planned 14,000–19,000 square foot arts facility while also leading the nonprofit’s overall strategy.
With decades of entrepreneurial experience and a background in graphic design, Peterson enters the scene at an important time for Fraser Valley Arts. The organization was founded in 2021 under the goal of constructing the Fraser Center for the Creative Arts, and that vision is now close to becoming a reality, according to those involved in the project.
“I have to be very appreciative and thankful for all the volunteers that do a lot of the legwork and groundwork up to this point, because the Fraser Arts Center is in a really strong position right now to possibly break ground in 2027 or 28,” Peterson said.
The nonprofit’s board of directors has raised a total of $3.5 million in committed project assets to date, including the value of the land granted by the town of Fraser for the facility. Total project costs will range from $8 to $10 million, according to board president Steve Fitzgerald.
Pending approval of several grant applications, including $2 to $3 million in Colorado Revitalization Tax Credit funding through Colorado Creative Industries, the facility could be on track to break ground in the spring of 2027, but may be pushed to 2028 without the state grant. It will take 18 months to build out, Fitzgerald said.
Other funding mechanisms include private lending and a possible loan. Naming rights are still available, as is inclusion in the Founder’s Circle “seed capital” group, which offers special benefits and recognition for donations, according to Fitzgerald.
The center will border the Fraser River in the downtown area, on a plot of land slightly behind Birdie Lounge and Fraser Valley Distilling on Clayton Court. The town, which is developing St. Louis Landing affordable housing units within walking distance from the proposed arts center, envisions a transformed retail space in the area that connects residents and tourists to nearby attractions, according to Peterson.
The Fraser Valley Arts Center has received two gifts to benefit the future construction of an arts center, including a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The nonprofit stated it greatly appreciates that agency’s support.
DAO Architecture/Courtesy image
“The town’s hoping that down the road, the space becomes more of a walkable, concentrated downtown retail area, and they’re looking at the Fraser Art Center to be the anchor and hub of downtown Fraser, to attract people and traffic into that whole new commerce area,” she said.
In addition to a makerspace dedicated to electronic arts and studios for crafts such as pottery, glassblowing, painting and more, the center is intended to serve as a rentable event space for weddings or private gatherings. The nonprofit board is currently arranging an architect request for proposal with updated conceptual designs, Peterson said, and once funding is finalized, they will provide opportunities for public comment.
“We’ve been consulting with other art centers about the pros and cons of their establishments, what headaches they have and what really works well, to try to make sure that what we build is going to be effective for us,” Peterson said. “We are going to make sure it’s a multi-use application.”
These new renderings show the vision for the future Fraser Center for the Creative Arts building.
Fraser Valley Arts/Courtesy image
Fitzgerald and Peterson emphasized that the center will cater to locals and tourists through its regular arts programming and event-hosting opportunities, drawing more economic activity to Fraser. With the Fraser train station nearby providing easy transportation, Peterson also hopes for an influx of Front Range visitors to the new downtown hub.
“People can take a train up, come to some of our programming, and either stay the night or go back down,” Peterson said. “We have a lot of fantastic donors. I want to see this come to fruition, and we’re very motivated to get something up that the community can leverage, both from a budget and construction perspective.”
Peterson’s decision to take on the new director role stems from a call to elevate the arts in the Fraser Valley and to respond to the need to expand its creative programming, she said.
“I’ve heard that a lot more people wish we had more arts and culture and programming in the area,” she said. “I think as our community grows, some of those cultural needs have started to grow, and if we, as a county, don’t address that, we’re gonna lose some good, valuable people that could bring diversity and volunteerism to our community.”
Written by Izzy Wagner on SkyHigh News. Reposted with permission from the author.
