York County artists have lifeline at Gettys Center as sale efforts continue
York County artists at the Tom S. Gettys Center won’t have to pack up just yet after Rock Hill offered a month-to-month lease extension at the community arts hub.
The move reverses earlier plans that would have required the Arts Council of York County to vacate the space by the end of August, pushing back their departure as the city continues trying to sell the historic downtown building.
Arts council leaders say they haven’t been told why the extension was granted or how long it might last. And the city of Rock Hill is staying quiet on whether it has any suitors for the building.
“We’re really happy to be able to stay in that space and give the artists the opportunity to continue to work out of the space that we’ve been in since 1987, but it is a little stressful,” said Melanie Cooper, the executive director of the Arts Council of York County. “There’s a lot of uncertainty.”
The center, at 201 E. Main St., has served as a key space for the local arts community since 1987, the Rock Hill Herald previously reported. Housed in a historic 1931 federal courthouse and post office, it includes artists studios, event spaces and performance areas where creators can work and display their art.
As first reported by the Post and Courier, the city laid out the terms of the month-to-month lease in a letter sent to the council in mid-June.
Under the extension, the arts council can continue operating under the regular lease provisions beginning Sept. 1, but with a shortened notice period for termination. The letter states if the city were to notify the council in November of its intent to end the lease, artists would need to leave by the end of December.
Katie Quinn, a spokesperson for Rock Hill, said in an email to the Rock Hill Herald that she does not expect any immediate action regarding the sale of the building. But, she said, certain details about potential buyers and negotiations are exempt from public disclosure under contractual or legal provisions.
The city council would need to vote at a public meeting if it were to move forward with the sale of the building, Quinn said.
Dylan Bannister, an artist that helped organize the group Keep Rock Hill Creative, has had studio space in the Gettys Center for five years. He said the lease may have been extended because the city has not yet found a buyer for the center.
“What I personally am inferring is that no offers have come through that they are considering,” Bannister said. “And I mean, maybe that’s optimistic thinking, but here we are eight months later, and it hasn’t sold.”
Like Cooper, Bannister said he is largely happy that the city extended the lease. But for some artists who plan performances months in advance, the uncertainty could prevent them from doing their work.
“It’s like a double-edged sword,” Bannister said. “It’s kind of bittersweet.”
Still, he said, only a couple artists have left the space since the city listed the building for sale. And while the future of the building remains uncertain, Bannister said he and other artists will not stop fighting for the future of the arts in York County. He regularly attends city council meetings to request the city takes the building off the market.
“I truly believe that a solution can be found that relieves the city of the financial burden… but that also allows it to continue to offer something for this beautiful, vibrant arts community,” Bannister said.
This story was originally published August 15, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "York County artists have lifeline at Gettys Center as sale efforts continue."
