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Gilliard Center highlights arts education, economic impact in 10th‑anniversary update to council
Summary
The Gilliard Center told council it operates a roughly $13 million budget, serves about 30,000 students per year (70% from Title I schools), has invested roughly $5 million in arts education over 10 years and provides subsidized bus transportation and veteran ticket programs; council members praised the public‑private partnership.
The Gilliard Center presented a 10th‑anniversary update to Charleston City Council on Oct. 28, outlining the nonprofit’s mixed revenue model, arts‑education reach and community programming.
Lisa Frankel, president and CEO, said the center operates on approximately a $13 million annual budget funded by a mix of rentals, ticket sales and contributed revenue, with rentals providing about one‑third of revenue. Frankel emphasized that rental income from conferences and events — such as a library conference and the Food & Wine Classic events — helps underwrite artistic commissions and education programs.
Sterling DeVries, vice president of education, said the Gilliard serves roughly 30,000 students annually through curriculum‑based programs (about 70% from Title I schools) and reported a milestone of 200,000 cumulative student attendees. The center also provides approximately 1,500 veteran tickets per year through a VetTix program and subsidizes bus transportation for schools (Frankel noted about $700,000 of the $5 million total education investment went to bus transportation over the past decade).
Frankel described recent commissions and community work — including a planned local ballet commission and public installations titled "Monuments" — and invited council collaboration on cultural sector initiatives. Council members thanked the Gilliard for its education work and public‑private model.
The presentation included requests for continued municipal partnership and acknowledged the center’s role in economic and cultural programming in the city.
