DOUGHERTY STATION COMMUNITY Arts CENTER
Dougherty Station Community Arts Center Grand Opening
The Dougherty Station Community Art Center, built in 2005, is undergoing renovation and will reopen with an arts focus on Monday, August 14, 2023. The renovated Arts Center will be the hub of arts and culture in San Ramon featuring visual and performing arts classes, programs, and workshops. The Arts Center will also host special events, performances, and workshops for our arts patrons and students.
See the Dougherty Station Community Arts Center Flyer
Upcoming Community Art Workshops:
As the Dougherty Station Community Arts Center facilities open, a series of free and low-cost workshops in theater, music, visual arts, and dance will be provided by contract instructors. There are 24 community workshops scheduled between the opening of the facility and the start of the Fall Recreation classes. These workshops, sponsored by San Ramon Arts Foundation, for a variety of ages, will provide a sampling of the classes offered starting in September. *Registration required for all workshops at: SanRamonRecGuide.com*
Click here or the image to see the August Worskshop Calendar DSCAC (1).pdf
The updated facility will include:
- Expanded Dance Studio
- Expanded Art Gallery
- Green Room
- Six Creative Artist Studios
- Two Sound Studios
- Two Community Rooms
- Music Room
Additional arts classes, programs, and events include:
- Expanded visual and performing art classes for all ages and abilities
- Drop-in classes with flexible scheduling
- Low-cost and free visual arts classes and workshops in a variety of new mediums
- Open art studios for artists to develop and create in a supportive environment
- Art Gallery Exhibits
- Arts events
- Open Mic Night
- Art Gallery Receptions
- Performances by local community groups
- Artist Expo
- Theatrical Rental Events
Goals of the facility:
- Provide affordable art programs for teachers and students.
- Provide more visual arts class offerings, including cultural programs, ceramics/sculpture, music, musical theater photography, dance, and crafts programs.
- Provide rental artist studio spaces for artists to create.
- Provide additional opportunities for artists to perform, exhibit, and sell goods.
Facility Reservations:
While the facility will have an art focus, the facility will remain accessible to the entire community and continue to provide facility rentals and non-art-related community programs and events. For information on facility rental opportunities, please click here.
History of Dougherty Station name:
In the time post-gold rush, according to local historian Beverly Lane, James W. Dougherty, an early American settler, bought most of Amador'sland (given to Jose Maria Amador in 1834 by the Mexican government). By the late 1800s, Dougherty was the second largest landholder in the area and was a member of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. An inn was built by JW Dougherty called Dougherty's Station which was located on Dublin Road west of old Highway 21 which is now San Ramon Valley Road. In 1860 the first Post Office was established and called Dougherty's Station which was later changed to Dougherty in 1896. According to Dublin On-Line! `By 1878 the community known as Dublin, Amador'sDougherty Station or Dougherty, was officially named Dublin." On page 139 in Irma Dotson's book, San Ramon Branch Line of the Southern Pacific, there is excellent information on the Dougherty railroad station which is located about a mile east of the center of Dublin and 2 and 3/10 miles south of Forest Home Farms on the railroad line. According to Dotson, at one point JW Dougherty's son, Charles, tried to lay out a town around the railroad station area in the late 1800'swhich would have been at the intersection of Dougherty Road and the Southern Pacific right of way. This town did not become a reality and remained on file until 1967 when the proposed town of Dougherty was canceled.