Apply for GNVArts, the City of Gainesville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department’s program designed to foster participatory cultural arts experiences—including dance, music, visual arts, crafts, acting, improvisation, and more. Through the Rosa B. Williams Center, we offer a safe, high-quality, low-cost venue for cultural partners to engage the community in meaningful, hands-on arts activities.

June 6 deadline for dance groups to apply for the Fall 2025 term

The Rosa B Williams Center is a participatory arts space. The center features a gallery space, floating dance floor, a percussive dance floor and a total of four rooms available for lessons, classes and events offered by participatory arts groups. 

The center is built on the site of the Union Academy, a historical African-American school established in 1865, which served the community for almost 60 years. 

Local artists and community groups are invited to apply for GNVArts, the City of Gainesville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department’s program designed to foster participatory cultural arts experiences—including dance, music, visual arts, crafts, acting, improvisation, and more. Through the Rosa B. Williams Center, we offer a safe, high-quality, low-cost venue for cultural partners to engage the community in meaningful, hands-on arts activities.

Rental Rate

  • $20/hour Dance Hall (includes all public areas)
  • $15/hour Percussion Room
  • $15/hour Mural room
  • $10/hour Art room 
Gainesville Scottish Country Dance Weekend, March 6-8, 2020 at the Rosa B Williams Center, Gainesville, Florida to the music of The MacRowdie Ceilidh Band featuring Mara Shea on fiddle and Pete Campbell on keyboard

Eligible activities and events must be open to the public for active participation. More information found in the application attached below. The deadline to apply for the Fall 2025 term is June 6.

The Mural Room: Forecourt of the Rosa B Williams Center

City of Gainesville’s Rosa B. Williams Center, a safe, high-quality, low-cost venue for dance activities