The Whitemarsh Community Art Center came into existence in 1964. The drive behind its inception was that township programs were centered on boys' athletics. This left a number of young residents without formal afterschool programs. A proposal was made by a group of residents and accepted by the Director of Parks and Recreation for Whitemarsh Township. In the fall of 1964 one hundred children enrolled in Saturday classes that encompassed both the arts and dance. The operating budget was three thousand dollars and the cost of most classes was twenty dollars for fifteen weeks.

The purpose of the Whitemarsh Township Art Center, as it was referred to, in the very beginning, expressed by Ruth Lehrer was "to expose children to the varied experiences and wonderful excitement of the world of art. The Center's intention is to provide an atmosphere of learning, a climate of creativity, and, above all, a stimulus for individual growth and development for each child.