About the Foundry art centre
The Foundry Art Centre resides in what was once a train car factory - a 1920s structure formerly owned by American Car & Foundry. Rather than demolish the 36,800 square foot building, the community of St. Charles worked tirelessly to complete a $2.2 million renovation and opened the region’s premiere, interactive, interdisciplinary art center in the spring of 2004.
As a vibrant home to the arts, the Foundry Art Centre raises awareness and appreciation of the arts throughout the region. Alive with activity, the Centre’s programming reinforces the importance of the arts and helps ensure that arts and culture remain vital. Artists, patrons, young people and the community at large continually find new ways to interact at this unique facility.
The public’s active participation continues to make the Foundry Art Centre successful in our mission to connect people with the Arts through Exhibitions, Studio Artists, Performances, and Education.
Grand Hall
The Grand Hall is the setting for performances, community events, movie showings, weddings, fundraisers, parties, and more throughout the year. Industrial but modern and elegant, the Grand Hall is a beautiful backdrop for special events.
For more information on renting the Grand Hall, visit our Venue Rental Page.
Main Galleries
The Foundry Art Centre’s Main Galleries feature over 4,000sqft of museum-quality exhibition space with state-of-the-art lighting and a/v capabilities. Artworks from around the world are exhibited in the Main Galleries, while an emphasis is placed on the extraordinary talent of our own region’s artists. The director of exhibitions works with artists, colleagues, and the community to showcase a wide variety of exhibitions of the highest quality, keeping contemporary art trends in focus.
East Gallery
The East Gallery is an 1,100sqft exhibition space dedicated to emerging and experimental artists, the Foundry’s studio artists, and residency artists.
The gallery is also available for event rental (70-90 people). For more information on booking an event at the Foundry, visit our Venue Rental Page.
Baue Family Children's Gallery
The Baue Family Children’s Gallery hosts children’s artwork from around the region. Over 300 schools have displayed student work in the gallery, showcasing the talent of thousands of youth.
Foundry Gift Shop
The Gift Shop offers a carefully curated selection of unique art and artful goods including exhibiting artist merchandise, work from our Studio Artists & other regional makers, and exclusive Foundry merchandise. The shop is available online here.
Studio Artists
The Foundry Art Centre’s mezzanine level is currently home to 14 studio artists. These artists maintain a full studio practice at the Foundry and welcome visitors to learn more about their work, with many offering classes and workshops. Visit our Artist Directory Page for details on each of our studio artists.