by Betty Jean Williamson

Beacon Arts is the all-volunteer nonprofit arts council for Beacon Hill. We grew out of a small art-making studio called ROCKiT Space, founded in 2009 by Jessie and Marti McKenna, which was housed in the building that is now Tippe and Drague Alehouse. At that time, there were no galleries or venues for music on the Hill. ROCKiT Space partnered with Beacon Hill Music (Paul Ray and Betty Jean Wiliamson) to create Beacon Rocks, a monthly summer music and art event. ROCKiT Space grew into Beacon Arts after moving our office into the historic Garden House in 2011. 

Our mission is to create opportunities for Beacon Hill artists and audiences by activating under-utilized spaces such as Roberto Maestas Festival Street, Jefferson Park, Garden House, and the warehouse on the corner of 15th Avenue South and Beacon Avenue that became Dozer’s Warehouse. For over ten years, Beacon Arts volunteers have created and run various projects and programs including concerts, art installations and markets, poetry readings, public mural painting, and documentary screenings.