Our mission is to serve the entire Cape community and visitors to the area by offering instruction, entertainment, and exhibition in the visual, literary, and performing arts.

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Programming at the Center includes art exhibitions in five galleries, resident artist studios, a performance hall, a culinary arts center, recording studio, pottery studio, makerspace, and art classrooms.

 

We hosted over 500 hands-on classes and about 65 concerts in 2022.

 

Of course, the Cultural Center is more than a building; but its building is an essential part of its story. In 2000, a group of concerned citizens set out to rescue that building, formerly the Bass River Savings Bank, an architectural treasure that had long been vacant. For seven years, the staff and community raised the funding necessary for extensive rehabilitation and, in 2007, opened the Cultural Center of Cape Cod. 

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It quickly became apparent that more space was needed for arts education. Thanks to the generous support of the Cultural Facilities Fund, the Yarmouth Community Preservation Fund, and private foundations and individuals, the Cultural Center was able to build and open a new Education Wing—debt free— in 2016, doubling the capacity to serve. 

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Since opening, we have served over 250,000 people of all ages, interests, abilities, and incomes. 

 

Early on, the Cultural Center committed to serving some of the most at-risk populations on Cape Cod. Despite the “postcard” face of the area, Barnstable County is a region that needs and deserves both access to the arts and humanities and support to ensure that access. 

 

The Center has run our Rise and Shine program since 2008. This program serves the region with in-person and digital programming tailored to the needs of at-risk populations, including youth, seniors, those threatened by homelessness, individuals with special needs, people in recovery, and others. 

 

As we work toward being a more inclusive organization, we are also looking at the diversity of our audience and performers. In 2022 46% of our concerts were headlined by women, and 27% headlined by BIPOC artists. 

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Our small, women-led team is working hard everyday to make the Cultural Center if Cape Cod a world-class, inclusive space that cultivates curiosity, creativity, and cultural exploration through exhibition, arts education and life-long learning, and music and events. Learn more about Executive Director Molly Demeulenaere.

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See you at the Center!

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Your Cultural Center Team

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