ARTS & CULTURE VENUE | ART EDUCATION SPACE
Since early 2025 we have been working to turn the old Loomis armored truck depot into AC Satellite: an arts education hub to include classroom space and greenspace. Alabama Contemporary is a Mobile non-profit who works to create opportunities for artists. The site will primarily host art classes and workshops, in addition to pop-up programming such as small scale exhibitions, performances, talks, and community conversations. Phase II of the construction project will cover the exterior, including an education pavilion, community kiln, and sculpture garden.
We are taking a neglected warehouse and returning it to community use, taking a parking lot and creating a garden. This space will be a permanent resource that supports partnerships, outreach, hands-on arts education, and community well-being.
As we embark on a statewide program schedule that sites projects and programs with partner institutions across Alabama. Our priority in this transition is to keep the critical opportunities we offer intact, and to keep a strong footprint in Mobile. 561 Saint Francis Street is a 2,500 square foot warehouse in downtown Mobile, an old Loomis truck depot. We are currently working on an adaptive reuse renovation to establish the space as a permanent satellite location to house and support the creative community through opportunities in studio residency, arts education, and community centered programming. AC Satellite will serve as the long-term home for the current two-year studio Artist in Residence program, temporary administrative hub for the project granting and proposal opportunities we steward, and a site for arts education and public programming.
Phase I of the renovation is wrapping up, and we have finished 2025 with a full interior! Pop-up exhibitions and programs are slated for each Artwalk throughout 2026 and the Alabama Contemporary staff will move in in the coming months. Phase II will include exterior construction, painting, and the addition of an education pavilion and greenspace. Check out our Phase I progress report and Phase II funding opportunities below.
Generous support for AC Satellite provided by:
Alabama State Council on the Arts
Mobile County Commission
Rogers & Willard Inc.
The A.S. Mitchell Foundation
The C.D. Helen and Jeff Glaze Foundation
Mrs. Carol S. Hunter