Granville Center for the Arts

In 2023, I co-founded Granville Center for the Arts after realizing our community was missing something important: a welcoming creative space where everyone felt invited, regardless of age, background, experience, or income. Alongside an incredible group of volunteers and collaborators, I helped transform a plain cement-block building in downtown Granville, Ohio, into a vibrant, community-powered arts center built on the belief that art should belong to everyone. What started as an ambitious grassroots experiment has grown into one of the region’s most active creative hubs, hosting hundreds of free concerts, workshops, exhibits, clubs, performances, and public art experiences.

As co-founder and Creative Director (of Happiness), I lead the vision, programming, branding, partnerships, fundraising, marketing, design, and day-to-day operations of the center. The organization is 100% volunteer-run with no paid staff, including myself. I’ve helped create everything from interactive public art installations and outdoor concert series to literary programs, youth workshops, gallery exhibits, family art nights, and large-scale community events. My goal has always been to build something that feels less like an institution and more like a living community project: a place designed to spark connection, curiosity, creativity, and joy.

One of the things I’m most proud of is our commitment to making the arts radically accessible. Every event we host is free and open to the public, often including complimentary supplies, snacks, and drinks to help remove barriers to participation. Through partnerships with local artists, schools, universities, nonprofits, businesses, and volunteers, we’ve created a space that feels equal parts neighborhood makerspace, experimental art lab, and a thriving community cultural center.

Want to collaborate on something creative, weird, meaningful, or wonderfully unexpected? Email me at ryan@mcguiremade.com.