The Arts of Hancock County

​We are a vibrant, hard-working group of artists, artisans and arts supporters called The Arts, Hancock County, MS. As a group, we reach out to the community-at-large to foster appreciation of the role that art plays in all of our lives.

HOURS:

  • Monday: Closed
  • Tuesday: 10am-5pm
  • Wednesday: 10am- 5pm
  • Thursday: 10am-5pm
  • Friday: 10am-5pm
  • Saturday: 10am-5pm
  • Sunday: Closed

​The Arts, Hancock County, is a fast-growing, active arts organization that offers sponsorship and genuine support in the form of shows, festivals, classes, and events to our members and partners. The organization took its first steps in 2004, working toward these goals. Katrina changed all that and the focus quickly became rescuing the art and artists effected by the hurricane.

Governed by a volunteer board of hard working artists and art supporters, The Arts, Hancock County is a non-profit 501-c3 organization that continues to grow and expand. It’s all about the love of creating and the desire to weave art into the fabric of everyday life in Hancock County.

Hancock Arts goes beyond traditional forms of art to include all types of creative expression and performance. For example, the rapidly growing Arts Alive! festival, made a huge comeback in 2022 after being grounded by the COVID pandemic in 2020 and 2021. Arts Alive! is the largest multifaceted arts festival in Hancock County and the biggest undertaking of the organization. Held in the spring of each year, the festival includes an amazing Artist Trail filled with a panoply of arts ranging from sterling silver and gemstone jewelry, photography, mixed media, and clothing, to local authors, pottery, painting, printing, weaving, and wood carving.

In addition to the shopping opportunities, festival goers of all ages can participate in mini-workshops from local artists in our MakerSpace. We also boast three performance stages where happy festival goers can listen to music, watch dance or drumming performances, and more!

There’s nothing quite like eating lunch under the live oaks and listening to a little acoustic guitar, is there? Fulfilling our mission of making art  accessible to everyone, Arts Alive! remains a free event thanks to our generous community sponsors and volunteers.

In addition to Arts Alive! you’ll find Hancock Arts members out and about in the community creating and installing public art, working at the Community Garden, installing art shows at some of our local museums, and participating in our Art Without Walls Pop-Up Markets held on most second Saturdays throughout the year.

​At the center of all this activity is the historic 2,400 square foot Hancock County Center for the Arts. Now on the Mississippi Historic Register, the building was generously donated to The Arts, Hancock County, and was once the workshop of famed Mardi Gras Designer Carter Church. The building underwent extensive remodeling in 2022 and now includes meeting and workshop space, an office and welcome area, and gallery space, as well as plenty of storage. An on- going Capital Campaign affords patrons the opportunity to have a part of the building named in honor of someone special. 

In the newly conceived Historic Depot Arts District, the Hancock Arts Center is conveniently located near downtown and the Community Hall. This location, rich in Bay St. Louis history, provides the opportunity for members of The Arts, Hancock County to tap into the creative economy In Hancock County, including Waveland and the Kiln. As the organization grows, it looks forward to partnerships with local businesses and civic organizations.

Membership is open to any artist or interested persons. If you’d like to learn more about The Arts, Hancock County, please visit our website at www.HancockArts.org, or scan our code. There, you’ll find opportunities to teach, donate, and explore upcoming events.

Scroll to Top