Who We Are

Discover Old School Square, a National Historic Site where beautifully restored, early 20th century school buildings serve the greater Delray Beach community and South Florida with visual and performing arts, entertainment and enrichment.

Located in the heart of downtown Delray Beach, this award-winning, nationally recognized arts center successfully combined historic preservation and the arts to become the catalyst for the 1990’s renaissance of downtown Delray Beach. It all began with the vision of one person, our founder, Frances F. Bourque.

The campus includes the Cornell Art Museum (c. 1913) — presenting rotating exhibitions of contemporary and cutting edge art by regional, national and internationally recognized artists; the intimate, 323-seat Crest Theatre (c. 1925) — presenting national tours, musicals, variety, Broadway cabaret with New York’s hottest stars, comedy, film and lectures with nationally renowned speakers; and The Fieldhouse (formerly known as the Vintage Gymnasium, c. 1925) — presenting series of music (all genres), comedy, poetry, art and more.  The Fieldhouse is also used for special events, receptions, and private parties.

The Pavilion, which opened in 2002, is a state-of-the-art outdoor performance venue surrounded by an open, grassy area and covered walkway. The Old School Square Park (a City of Delray park) is just to the east.

The Creative Arts School, which launched in 2010, is gaining a reputation in Palm Beach County and South Florida for its top quality art, photography and writing classes for beginners through master level.  The School recently added performance classes to the roster and also offers a variety of children’s classes, art and photography workshops, a Visiting Artist Workshop Series, and Free Open Readings.

Mission Statement

Old School Square’s mission is to be the community’s cultural center and gathering place for enriching the lives of all people by providing a total arts experience through visual and performing arts, education, and entertainment, while preserving our National Historic Site.

Value Statement

We strive to provide superior, professional and accessible programs and services through a team of dedicated staff and volunteers who embrace cultural diversity, work to establish strong partnerships, and who honor and protect our historic (school) buildings.

Vision Statement

Our vision is to offer a broad range of programs and services that will inspire every segment of the community to participate. Through expanded financial stability, Old School Square will experience continued growth as a multi-disciplinary organization and will lead the City’s plan to be a national cultural arts destination.

OLD SCHOOL SQUARE BOARD DIVERSITY POLICY

Old School Square Center for The Arts, Inc. a Nonprofit Florida Organization is committed to a diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment where all board members, staff, volunteers, and members feel respected and valued regardless of gender, age, race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation or identity, disability, education, or any other bias.

We’re committed to being nondiscriminatory and providing equal opportunities for employment, volunteering, and advancement in all areas of our work.

We respect the value that diverse life experiences bring to our board and leadership, and we strive to listen to their views and give them value.

We’re committed to modeling diversity, inclusion, and equity and maintaining fair and equal treatment for all.

Our board’s philosophy on our goals to provide informed leadership for diversity, inclusion, and equity include:

  • We will strive to see diversity, inclusion, and equity in connection with our vision and mission for the benefit of those we serve.
  • We aim to recognize and address inequities in our policies, programs, and services.
  • We will update and document progress on our diversity, equity, and inclusion practices.
  • We promise to investigate underlying assumptions that interfere with our diversity policy.
  • We commit to advocating for systemic inequities that impact our work at the board level and address it according to this policy and in accordance with our mission.
  • We commit to challenging commonly accepted notions about what constitutes strong leadership within our organization.
  • We commit to being transparent about diversity in all our interactions.
  • We will dedicate our time and resources to expanding greater diversity within our board and leadership positions.
  • We commit to leading with respect and tolerance and we encourage all employees and volunteers to express this in their work within our organization.

Old School Square Center for The Arts, Inc. a Nonprofit Florida Organization agrees to abide by the following action items to promote diversity, inclusion, and equity in our work:

  • We will create new learning opportunities and formal, transparent policies as we strive for cultural competency throughout our organization.
  • We will take action to improve diversity, inclusion, and equity in our board and leadership positions.
  • We will continue to develop our programming to demonstrate our commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity.
  • We will train our personnel to be responsible for orienting, onboarding, and training our staff and volunteers on equitable practices.
  • Old School Square’s BOD will annually review and implement any necessary changes to improve or modify our diversity policy.