Entrances to First City Art Center
When you arrive at the western edge of our campus at 1060 N. Guillemard St. in Pensacola, Florida, there is street parking on N. Guillemard St. and a pedestrian entrance (“Event Entrance” on the map below, between buildings #1 and #2), distinguished by a brightly colored mural. Around the corner on the southern side of the campus on De Soto Street, there is a vehicle entrance and parking lot. If the pedestrian entrance is not open when you arrive, please use the De Soto Street entrance. As you drive into the De Soto St. entrance, our main office is located in building #4 directly in front of you, just before the Gallery 1060 Building #2. Open Books, one of our non-profit partners, is located in the building to the left of FCAC’s Main Office, facing Guillemard St.
Locations of Classes, Gallery and Studios at First City Art Center
Classes
We hold a wide variety of classes, workshops, and events at FCAC!
Youth Art Program (YAP) classes are generally located in the brightly colored patterned building #5, affectionately called “The YAP House” on the southern side of campus, to the right of the De Soto Street Entrance. At the far end of campus is the other Classroom space, it is painted yellow and identified as building #3. Flame-working classes are held in the white roll-up garage door closest to the yellow Classroom in building #3. Ceramics and Hot Glass Classes are located in our Creative Warehouse building #1, our largest structure featuring a covered Hangar space and Patio area.
Work Spaces and Studios
We encourage our visitors to observe art-making in action while artists are working. Unless the artists welcome it, you may or may not be able to ask the artists questions. If you have a lot of questions, that’s great – we encourage you to sign up for a class!
The Creative Warehouse Building #1 houses our Glass Blowing studio, Ceramics studio, and Hangar work space area where artists may be working on welding and construction projects.
Building #1: Green Metal Roof: Creative Warehouse – Hot Glass and Ceramics Studios, Outdoor Hangar and Patio
Building #2: Long Ramp Entrance: Gallery 1060 – Visual Artist Studios, Art Sale and Gallery Exhibition Space
Building #3: Painted Yellow: Classroom – Multi-purpose Educational Space for a variety of classes and workshops
Building #4: Directly in front of De Soto Parking Lot Entrance: Main Office – Registration, Membership, Retail Store
Building #5: Brightly Colored Patterned Building: YAP House – Youth Art Program Classes and Workshops, SMAC
Building #6 (#3 in map): White Garage Door right next to Yellow Classroom #3: Flame-working Studio – Glass Bead-Making
Gallery and Public Art
Gallery 1060 features work from local artists in a variety of media. Doors around the perimeter of Gallery 1060 lead to artists studio spaces, featuring a variety of artists that you may find at work during your visit, including painters, photographers, designers, glass artists and sculptors.
While you’re visiting, don’t miss the Andy Retana ceramic installation that is featured opposite the community mural wall of Gallery 1060 in Building #2! There are several other murals throughout the campus, many of them are created by a local artist group, Art Beyond Walls.
Across the street in Long Hollow Park, you’ll see a collaborative Fountain Sculpture made by Devon Murphy, Ben Twingley, and Jonathan Kusnerek. It is a beautiful structure made of aluminum, ceramics and glass elements to be enjoyed for years to come!
Hands-On Visitor Program
FCAC offers a Hands-On Visitor Program for groups who are interested in learning more about glassblowing and ceramics. This program, designed for visitors ages 16 and older, includes a 20-30 minute glass blowing demonstration and discussion of processes by our Glass Arts Fellow, followed by a 45-minute hand-building pottery project. The item made during your visit will be glazed by an FCAC artist and ready for pick-up approximately 10 days later.
The cost for this is $20 per person with a minimum group size of 10 or $200. A short talk about FCAC and a tour can be given if requested in advance. To schedule a Hands-On Group Visit and/or tour of the facility, please call 850-429-1222, or email create@firstcityart.org.
FCAC also offers a field trip program for schools which can accommodate 25-120 students. MORE INFO