AP is closing Auglaize Mercer Center

Arts Place is closing one of its locations.

The regional arts organization based in Portland announced in a press release Wednesday that it will shut down its Mercer/Auglaize Center located in St. Marys, Ohio, effective Jan. 15.

The release indicates that Arts Place will continue to host its summer Arts in the Parks program in Fort Recovery, St. Henry, Coldwater, Celina, Minster, New Bremen and St. Marys.

“Arts Place thanks all our community board members, supporters, teaching artists, the City of St. Marys, as well as the entire community for the opportunity to provide the arts in St. Marys and surrounding communities,” the press release says.

Arts Place has operated a site in St. Marys since 2005, when The Mecca Collective became a program of Arts Place. Then known as The Collective Center, it hired its first center director in 2006.

The City of St. Marys and the St. Marys Community Improvement Corporation led the purchase of the former Party Shoppe in 2015. Following renovations, the site at 207 E. Spring St. — its current location — was dedicated as the Auglaize/Mercer Center of Arts Place a year later.

The organization operates in two other locations — the Jay County Campus at its headquarters in Portland and Blackford County Arts Center in Hartford City.

In addition to Arts in the Parks, Arts Place offers art and music education through its ArtWorks and MusicWorks programs, hosts concerts and other performances, and provides performance space for outside organizations.