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The Prairie Arts Center continues to expand opportunities for the community to gather, create and celebrate through events, classes and rental spaces in downtown North Platte.
Prairie Arts Center Executive Director Holly Carlini and new Events Coordinator Janee Elfeldt recently joined Allison Peck in the studio to talk about what’s happening at the arts center and what visitors can expect in the coming months.
Elfeldt said she has been with the Prairie Arts Center for only a few weeks but has already begun helping coordinate events.
“I kind of started in the middle of some events, but I’ve done a few of my own,” Janee Elfeldt said. “I had a fun one last weekend and then a few bridal showers and baby showers.”
Carlini said many people don’t realize the Prairie Arts Center offers several spaces that can be rented for private events such as weddings, graduations, showers, meetings and other gatherings.
The Marble Hall on the first floor provides a striking setting, while the textile room on the second floor offers a smaller space that can accommodate around 40 people. The ballroom upstairs can hold up to about 100 guests and also includes access to a balcony.
Rental prices vary depending on the space and how long it is reserved, but Carlini said rentals can start around $200, making it an accessible option for many types of events.
The Prairie Arts Center also provides tables and chairs as part of the rental, and guests are welcome to bring in their own catering. A bar option is available through the center’s liquor license.
Carlini said the space can also be used for wedding ceremonies, with couples having the option to move upstairs afterward for their reception.
In addition to private rentals, the Prairie Arts Center hosts its own community events and fundraisers throughout the year.
Past events have included outdoor concerts and performances by touring musicians. The center also hosted a unique forging competition called Fire on the Prairie, modeled after the History Channel series Forged in Fire, which brought participants from several states to North Platte to create knives during an all-day event.
Carlini said a variety of new events are coming up this spring.
One upcoming event is a Princess Tea Party designed as a “mommy and me” experience where children can dress up, participate in activities and take photos.
The Prairie Arts Center is also planning to bring back Downtown Tours and Brewers, a popular event that gives participants the opportunity to explore upper floors of historic downtown buildings that are rarely open to the public. Many of the spaces remain largely unchanged from decades ago, offering a unique look into the city’s past before the evening wraps up with drinks at a local location.
Carlini said the event is typically limited to about 30 tickets and often sells out.
Along with events, the Prairie Arts Center continues to offer a wide variety of creative classes for both adults and children.
New classes include clay hand-building workshops where participants can create projects such as garden gnomes, charcuterie boards and decorative house numbers.
Carlini said the clay classes take place in the building’s basement studio, where students learn to work with durable stoneware clay. After the pieces are formed, they are fired in a kiln and participants can return later to glaze their work before it is fired again.
Another upcoming class will teach participants how to make large finger-knit blankets using chunky yarn. Carlini said the class has proven popular and is nearly full.
The Prairie Arts Center is also launching classes where participants can customize flannel or denim jackets using band or school T-shirts.
Kids programming will return as well, with summer classes for ages 4 to 7 and 8 to 11 expected to be posted in early April. The classes run weekly from late May through August and typically include around 25 children per session.
Carlini encouraged anyone curious about the Prairie Arts Center to stop by and explore the building.
“It’s free of charge,” she said. “You can walk in, kind of look at the building, grab a calendar, ask questions.”
The historic building includes three floors and a basement with studios and galleries, and visitors can also view the ceramics studio during open studio times.
More information about classes, events and rental spaces is available online at prairieartscenter.org.