On the wall above the exit of the Amarillo Art Institute, which is located in the Arts in the Sunset, the following words are in bold: “We inspire, educate and enrich lives through art.
The status of the Arts in the Sunset, which previously housed studio spaces for numerous artists and hosted monthly art walks and exhibitions, has been in limbo since the tenants were vacated in 2019 to help the Crouch Foundation obtain tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service and become a nonprofit organization.
But with construction and renovations currently occurring at the space, officials with the Amarillo Art Institute are hopeful that the Arts in the Sunset will once again be able to inspire, educate and enrich lives through art on a larger scale.
Nearly five months after the Amarillo College Board of Regents authorized Chris Sharp, vice president of business affairs, to accept an offer from the Crouch Foundation for the old JC Penney building at 3701 Plains Blvd., the board approved the purchase during its Tuesday meeting.
The building will be the location of the college’s new First Responders Center, bringing programs from the East and West campuses under one roof, with the potential of hosting other programs currently housed at the East Campus. The regents approved the purchase price of $625,000.
According to previous Globe-News reports, the regents saw an opportunity to partner with Amarillo Independent School District s AmTech Career Academy project, which is located at 3601 Plains Blvd. With the proximity of the First Responders Center, the partnership could create further synergy between the college and the school district, officials said.