When most people think about the arts, they picture the finished product — a painting hanging in a gallery, a moving musical performance, a handcrafted work or an inspiring theatrical production. What they don't often see is everything required to bring those creative visions to life.

That is where the Arts Council of Fayetteville | Cumberland County hopes ArtsXL will make a lasting difference.

Building a thriving arts community takes more than talent. It requires access to education, professional guidance, affordable space and opportunities to connect with others who understand both the creative and business sides of the arts. Through ArtsXL, the Arts Council is investing in artists and arts organizations by bringing those resources together under one roof.

One example of that mission is Creative Summer School, a free three-part professional development series designed to help artists strengthen the business side of their creative careers. The series began July 11 with Artist Marketing, Promotion & Networking, led by Miles McKeller-Smith, director of public relations for the Arts Council. On Aug. 1, Michael Houck, director of artistic communities, will present Best Practices in Grant Writing for Individual Artists, followed by Grants, Taxes & Artist Management on Aug. 15 with financial literacy advocate and Arts Council grant recipient Crystal McLean, creator of The Money Box Workshop. For more information about classes, visit https://www.theartscouncil.com/

Rather than focusing on artistic technique, the sessions concentrate on the professional skills that help artists sustain and grow their work.

"I want artists to be more confident," said Kashia Knight, arts education manager for the Arts Council, referring to everything from promoting their work to applying for grants. She also hopes participants recognize "that the Arts Council is not only a place of venue space but a space for resource and networking."

While the workshops highlight one way ArtsXL serves the community, they represent only a portion of the building's larger purpose.

Located at 214 Burgess St., the approximately 6,670-square-foot, two-story facility was created to remove barriers by providing affordable office space for arts nonprofit organizations while also offering rehearsal, performance, meeting and community-use space. The main theater and event area accommodate approximately 150 people, depending on its configuration.

According to the Arts Council, ArtsXL is not intended to function as a public class or resource center. Instead, Creative Summer School demonstrates one of many ways the space can be activated alongside performances, concerts, spoken word events, film screenings, exhibitions, workshops and other creative programming.

"The idea behind it is to have a space provided to arts-focused nonprofit organizations that they can afford to have office space and a professional setting, so that they're not trying to run organizations out of their garage," said Chris Walker, facilities manager for ArtsXL.

Today, the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra and Cumberland Choral Arts lease space within the building. Since opening in late January, Walker said ArtsXL has continued to gain momentum as arts organizations, individual artists and community nonprofits have begun using the facility for performances, exhibitions, meetings and special events.

For artists, access to those opportunities can make all the difference. An idea should not be abandoned because there is nowhere to rehearse, exhibit a finished piece, host an event or learn how to secure funding for the next project. By bringing education, collaboration and affordable creative space together, ArtsXL is helping remove those obstacles before they become roadblocks.

The public may ultimately see the finished painting, hear the concert or attend the performance, but those moments begin long before the audience arrives. They begin with artists who have the knowledge, encouragement, relationships and resources to keep creating.

As Walker put it, ArtsXL is simply "waiting to be utilized by the community."

It isn't finished.

It's only just beginning.