One of Raleigh’s most beloved creative hubs is about to go dark for a while. Sertoma Arts Center at Shelley Lake Park will close to the public beginning June 22 as the city gears up for a major renovation and expansion funded by the voter‑approved 2022 Parks Bond. The shutdown will pause on‑site classes and exhibitions while crews remodel studios, add a larger gallery and install an elevator to improve accessibility. City staff say programming will continue at partner community sites while construction moves forward.
When It Closes And What Is Changing
Sertoma will be closed to the public starting June 22 so crews can carry out upgrades and an expansion that address long‑standing building and accessibility needs, according to the City of Raleigh. The city says the work will modernize studios, improve restrooms and add administrative and storage areas to better support classes and exhibits, so the place that taught half the neighborhood how to throw a pot should be a lot more functional on the other side.
Where All The Art Classes Are Headed
“Programming will continue during the closure, with classes and workshops relocating to alternate sites beginning in September,” the city wrote in its FAQ. Basic studio classes that do not require specialty equipment will move to Glen Eden Pilot Park; fibers and jewelry classes are slated for Brentwood Park Neighborhood Center; pottery will shift to Pullen Arts Center; and select youth, teen and inclusion programs will be offered at Laurel Hills Community Center. Translation: your glaze experiments and beading projects are not canceled, they are just getting a temporary new ZIP code.
Timeline, Price Tag And The Bond Paying For It
The renovation is one of the city’s 2022 Parks Bond projects and the timeline shows design and permitting this year with construction slated to follow in 2026–27, per the City of Raleigh. Procurement documents and the RFQ for the Parks Bond projects list Sertoma’s budget at about $15,275,000 and identify the site at 1400 W. Millbrook Road, which aligns with the city’s project descriptions.
Public Input And Art Plans
The city held schematic‑design meetings and public workshops this spring; the project’s engagement portal hosts the schematic presentation and sign‑up for email updates. The PublicInput page also includes documents from the design process and a place for residents to ask questions and view plans, so anyone who spends their weekends at Shelley Lake can see what is coming before the construction fencing goes up.
What To Know Before The Doors Close
Pottery and jewelry studio memberships will be available at Pullen Arts Center for qualified makers during the closure, and Sertoma staff will monitor [email protected] for program questions. Raleigh Parks shared the initial notice on its Raleigh Parks page and will post updates there and on the city’s project pages as work progresses, so regulars can keep tabs on when their home studio at Shelley Lake is ready for its grand reopening.
