The Center

The Brazopsort Center for the Arts & Sciences is a 45,000 square foot cultural and educational complex located in the heart of the Brazosport Texas area. The Center is owned and operated by the Brazosport Fine Arts Council (BFAC) and is home to four member groups and seven affiliate organizations.

• Brazosport Art League
• Brazosport Museum of Natural Science
  • Sea Shell Searchers of Brazoria County
  • Brazosport Birders & Naturalist
  • The Brazosport Archaeological Society.
• Brazosport Center Stages
  • The Brazosport Symphony Orchestra
  • The Brazosport Symphony League
  • The Gerrard Teen Guild
  • The Children's Company
• Brazosport Planetarium

All the member groups operate with their own officers, volunteers and budgets. Each has a specialized area of the Center designated for its use.

If you need any information, please contact the Center's office, Mon - Fri from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 979-265-7661. Or call our new Toll free number at 877-265-7661.

THE BRAZOSPORT CENTER FOR

THE ARTS AND SCIENCES

No one knows when the idea was first conceived, nor who had it. However, the Brazosport Center for the Arts and Sciences just might be an excellent example of a problem being an opportunity in disguise.

The "problem" in this case was antiquated and crowded conditions of the Brazosport Museum of Natural Science. In 1973, the board of the museum began looking for a solution to their space problem.

David L. Rooke, then general manager of the Texas Division of The Dow Chemical Company, related the group's problem to Dr. Earle B. Barnes, then president of Dow Chemical U.S.A., and others in Midland, Michigan, corporate headquarters for Dow.

A visit to the Brazosport area by Herbert H. Dow, secretary of the company and a member of Dow's board of directors, and Frank Harlow, vice president of Dow and secretary of the Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation, started a chain of events which early in 1974 resulted in an announcement from Dow's chairman, Carl Gerstacker, that Dow was offering the community a gift of $1,250,000 through the Brazosport Fine Arts Council.

In accepting the gift, the Fine Arts Council chose to add one string: that the community would, as a show of commitment to the project, raise $250,000 before using the Dow gift. The reasoning was that if local funds could not be raised to at least partly match the gift from the community's largest employer, then there might not be enough interest to make the project a success.

The Brazosport Fine Arts council had been formed nine years earlier from members of the local Little Theater and Art League. Its purpose was to provide an organization that could have broader membership and impact in the community. Among its achievements, the very successful Community Concert series and the fund raising for the new Center stand out among a large number of activities.

Pages could be written recognizing the many individuals and organizations who contributed to the community effort...not only with money, but with activities, ideas and participation.

The $250,000 was raised, in fact the goal was exceeded by $12,772, and announcement of the achievement was made on March 25, 1974.

Reflecting the attitude of Dow and the community in wanting a "complete package", an additional Dow gift of $500,000 and a community pledge of $100,000 were announced in July 1974.

This permitted the Fine Arts Council to include a music theater in the Brazosport Center for the Arts and Sciences. Thus, all four major community activities--art, drama, science and music--have facilities in the new building.

In December 1974, the Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation gave a $300,000 endowment gift to the Fine Arts Council for operational costs of the Center.

In September 1975, a second gift from the Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation also was accepted by the Council. This endowment gift of $300,000 was designated for operational costs of the Center.

Today, the Brazosport Center for the Arts and Sciences is a facility designed for the cultural enrichment of the Brazosport area. Owned and operated by the Brazosport Fine Arts Council, the center is located adjacent to the Brazosport College at 400 College Dr. in Clute. The Center promotes the appreciation of art, natural science, theater, nature and music. It is home to seven affiliate organizations and four member groups.

The Brazosport Center Stages has the oldest theater group on the Texas Coast. Center Stages is a non-profit group organized to promote the theatrical arts, produce live performances, host workshops and provide educational opportunities for all. Performances start in the fall and vary from drama to comedy and musicals. The Center also has a musical arm called the Brazosport Symphony Orchestra. The Orchestra produces six major concerts each year. The Family concert and Pops concert are the highlight of their season. The Brazosport Art League promotes displays from local artists as well as traveling exhibits. The Museum of Natural Science features the Hall of Malacology that offers the most extensive collection of shells on exhibit in the Southern United States. The Nature Center and Planetarium provides educational programs throughout the year. Visitors can take a self-guided tour along the banks of Oyster Creek on the nature trail. The nature trail is an excellent way to unwind and enjoy the scenery. This trail exhibits more than two hundred species of river bottom vegetation and has abundant wildlife. Explore The Center for the Arts and Sciences. You'll be glad you did.