Roswell mayor spotlights surge in arts attendance and upcoming America250 performances

Mary Robichaud, mayor of Roswell, Georgia, devoted an episode of the city’s Inside Roswell podcast to the city’s arts and performing-arts programs, saying the Cultural Arts Center and Roswell Performing Arts are drawing wider community participation and offering a packed slate of America250 programming.

Robichaud introduced Al Stilo, the city’s cultural arts coordinator, and Nancy Brown, the Roswell performing arts coordinator, who described venues, youth programs and a year-round schedule of concerts and family events. "Cultural arts center is a 600-seat theater that I would say is the envy of all the communities surrounding us," Stilo said, describing the downtown venue’s mix of concerts, theater, dance and heritage events.

Stilo said the center programs four event types—curated events, rentals, city programs and community partnerships—and highlighted two curated series tied to the national semiquincentennial: a Made-in-America music series and an American Mosaic series examining cultural traditions. He also said Quilters, a Broadway musical supported by funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, will run in Roswell for two weeks; Stilo gave the dates for Quilters as Aug. 14–23 and said it will include eight performances.

Nancy Brown traced the performing-arts program’s growth from dance-only classes in the 1970s to a broader offering today, saying classes begin as early as age 2 and extend through adult programming. She described rehearsal and production work—costumes, choreography, dress rehearsals and staff coordination—that prepares students for recitals and public performance. Brown recounted a recent alumni success: Spencer Burdette, who began in Roswell’s classes and later auditioned for the Limon Company in New York City; she said Burdette returns to work with the local dance company as a guest artist.

Stilo and Brown emphasized family-friendly programming and accessibility: the Cultural Arts Center offers puppet shows, holiday performances such as Nutcracker and barbershop, and local festivals. Stilo noted the city presents more than 120 events annually and cited the accounting department’s figure that ticket sales rose 184% between 2022 and 2025, which he characterized as evidence of growing audience demand and stronger community connections.

Looking ahead, the mayor and staff highlighted several fall attractions. Robichaud mentioned a return of an Earth, Wind & Fire-themed performance in October (Stilo cited Oct. 17 as part of that fall slate) and reiterated the Quilters run in August. Brown said space constraints remain a challenge as programming grows, and she described plans to add studio space so more classes can be scheduled without using other buildings.

Robichaud closed by encouraging residents to check the city’s events calendar and to attend performances and classes, saying local arts opportunities help connect residents, support artists and strengthen community life.