Rosewood Arts Center

- 2655 Olson Dr, Kettering, OH 45420

The Rosewood Arts Center, a division of the City of Kettering's Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department, is a vibrant and essential cultural institution serving the residents of Kettering and the wider Dayton area in Ohio. More than just an art studio, Rosewood functions as a comprehensive art center, art gallery, art school, community center, and performing arts theater all under one roof. It is dedicated to enriching the quality of life through creative experiences in both the visual and performing arts, upholding a mission that has made it one of the most widely-used public art education facilities in Southwest Ohio for decades.

Rosewood Arts Center is unique in its breadth of offerings, hosting hundreds of classes annually for both youth and adults, ensuring that everyone from the absolute beginner to the experienced artist can find a creative outlet. The recent, extensive renovations to the facility have modernized and enhanced the experience, prompting positive community feedback and elevating the creative environment to a new level. The center, housed in a building that was once an aging elementary school, has been reinvented into a cutting-edge, multidisciplinary arts education destination, now capable of fostering increased collaboration and accommodating a greater number of students.

Customers consistently praise the supportive atmosphere, which welcomes individuals looking to "explore your artistic side," whether through working on the pottery wheel in a ceramics class or engaging in one of the many other diverse programs. This focus on hands-on experience and creative engagement, combined with specialized, well-equipped studios, solidifies Rosewood's reputation as a cornerstone of Ohio's regional arts scene.

The Rosewood Arts Center is centrally located within the Kettering community, offering convenient access for residents across the greater Dayton, Ohio, area. The facility is fully equipped to welcome all members of the community, underscoring its commitment to inclusivity and public service.

• Address: 2655 Olson Dr, Kettering, OH 45420, USA.
• Parking: Patrons benefit from ample on-site parking, including a free parking lot, eliminating stress when visiting for classes, exhibitions, or performances.
• Accessibility Features: The center is fully wheelchair accessible, providing a truly welcoming environment for everyone.
  • Wheelchair accessible entrance
  • Wheelchair accessible parking lot
  • Wheelchair accessible restroom
  • Wheelchair accessible seating (in the renovated theater space)
• Amenities: The center also offers modern, inclusive facilities, including a gender-neutral restroom.

Rosewood Arts Center provides a remarkable scope of arts programming, making it the region's sole multi-disciplinary arts education provider serving such a wide population.

• Visual Arts Classes: Over 400 classes and workshops are offered annually for all ages and skill levels, covering mediums such as:
  • Ceramics (Pottery, hand-building, wheel throwing)
  • Painting and Drawing (Oil, acrylic, watercolor)
  • Specialized Studios (Glass, jewelry making, printmaking, sculpture)
  • Photography (Including a black and white darkroom)
• Performing Arts Programs: Training in dance, theatre, and creative movement, including the long-running Kettering Children's Theatre.
• Exhibitions and Gallery: Managing the Kettering Health Art Gallery (formerly Rosewood Gallery), which hosts contemporary art exhibitions by artists living and working throughout the Kettering region and the United States.
• Studio Access and Rentals: Offering drop-in studio use for specialized facilities (pottery, darkroom, glass, etc.) and private studio spaces for practicing artists through an application process.
• Special Events and Festivals: Hosting major community events such as:
  • Art on the Commons (Annual fine arts festival)
  • A Rosewood Holiday Arts Festival
  • Art on the Playground (Interactive arts festival for kids)
• Community Engagement Programs: Including the Art Start Preschool Program, Art Lunch, and partnerships with local arts organizations like the Kettering Civic Band and Kettering Children's Choir.

The Rosewood Arts Center is defined by its deep community integration and high-quality artistic resources, distinguishing it as a premier destination in Ohio.

• Multidisciplinary Expertise: It is a unique hub offering specialized facilities, including a dedicated darkroom, kiln room, dance studio with a new floor, and studios for painting, glass, and jewelry, providing rare access to diverse media.
• State-of-the-Art Renovations: Recent, significant renovations have modernized the entire center, including an updated theater space with 150 fixed seats, improved exhibition capacity, and better-arranged, collaborative studio spaces.
• Kettering Health Art Gallery: The non-collecting exhibition space provides a vital platform for showcasing contemporary artists, often hosting over 100 artists each year.
• Highly Qualified Faculty: Classes are taught by top-notch faculty—working artists and experienced art educators—who are committed to helping hobbyists and professionals alike find and develop their "creative bliss."
• Community Cornerstone: With over 100,000 visitors annually, Rosewood is one of the most widely used city resources, actively contributing to higher civic engagement and social cohesion in Kettering.
• Supportive and Nurturing Environment: Reviews consistently emphasize the nice and supportive atmosphere, making it a great place for beginners to feel comfortable exploring complex artistic practices like pottery.

Ohio residents interested in exploring classes, booking studio time, or attending an upcoming performance or gallery exhibition can reach the Rosewood Arts Center using the contact information below.

• Address: 2655 Olson Dr, Kettering, OH 45420, USA
• Phone: (937) 296-0294
• Mobile Phone: +1 937-296-0294

For any Ohio resident—from a parent seeking developmental activities for their child to a retired adult wanting to finally learn ceramics—the Rosewood Arts Center is unparalleled due to its sheer scope and quality. What truly makes Rosewood worth choosing is its status as a fully-equipped, multi-disciplinary facility that delivers arts education for the entire community. Unlike smaller private studios, Rosewood provides specialized facilities—a darkroom for photography, dedicated kiln rooms for pottery, and a fully-renovated theater—which offer a level of access to artistic infrastructure that is simply not available elsewhere in the region.

The seamless integration of art instruction, performance space, and gallery exhibition creates a holistic artistic ecosystem. Students not only learn from experienced artists but also have the opportunity to see professional work and participate in live performances, enriching their understanding and experience of the arts far beyond a single classroom. The recent multi-million-dollar reinvention demonstrates a long-term commitment from the City of Kettering and the community to maintaining a cutting-edge environment, meaning patrons are investing in a facility that will continue to grow and enhance its offerings. With its robust commitment to accessibility, free parking, and diverse programming, Rosewood Arts Center stands as the premier cultural resource for creative engagement in the greater Dayton area.

Rosewood Arts Center

2655 Olson Dr, Kettering, OH 45420, USA