Bring your mask and join us for a COVID friendly Gallery Opening Reception on Thursday, September 10 from 6 – 8 pm
The Aiken Center for the Arts is proud to host an extraordinary exhibit showcasing past and present scenes from SRS as part of its 70th year celebration. The impact of SRS on our community over the last 70 years can’t be overstated. Prior to President Truman’s announcement of the site’s selection as part of a national defense complex, Aiken was best known as an agricultural community and a favorite retreat for wealthy 19th century equestrians. While they had stately homes known as the Winter Colony, their cultural impact was somewhat limited to their inner circle. With the advent of SRS, Aiken soon saw significant changes brought by these atomic age homesteaders from all over the United States. With families in tow, engineers, scientists, construction workers, and administrative staff brought diversity to our area and showed a keen interest in being engaged in our community.
Many of us say Aiken is not your average small southern town. This is due, in large part, to SRS. Site personnel brought with them a desire to recreate the very best of the arts and education they knew in their former communities, and they brought the arts to us through active volunteerism and financial support. All of the companies that have operated at SRS over the last 70 years have been very generous to the arts. As leaders in our community, they have demonstrated their commitment not only to protect the public health and environment but also to meet the artistic needs of the people in Aiken County and the surrounding area. We at the Aiken Center for the Arts are very grateful to our major corporate SRS donors, and we wish to thank them for sponsoring this exhibit and their ongoing support.
Today, SRS continues to have vital missions that are key to our national security. Some of these missions are included in our photographic exhibition. As a special treat, this exhibit also includes beautiful photographs taken by SRS employees. Since its beginning, SRS has been keenly aware of its environmental responsibilities. These photographs capture the beauty of the Site’s 310 square miles.
Please join us for this unique gallery exhibit, which showcases the accomplishments of the hundreds of thousands of men and women whose collective knowledge and intellectual capital have benefited not only Aiken but our nation. The SRS70 exhibit runs from September 9 to October 23, 2020.
