DANVILLE, Ky. — Effective Aug. 1st, the Community Arts Center in Danville, Kentucky, has announced a new name and organizational identity.
“Recognizing and embracing the important role that the organization plays for the region, we are moving forward under the name Art Center of the Bluegrass,” said Executive Director Niki Kinkade.
The mission of the Art Center of the Bluegrass is to connect people to art, culture, and creativity.
Kinkade explained that this new name is a natural step in the growth and development of the organization, which opened in 2005. Housed in a stately former federal building, the adaptive reuse of the historic building allows the Art Center to inhabit the intersection of art and history. The Art Center of the Bluegrass is the creative hub, not just for Danville, but for the entire southern Bluegrass region of Kentucky, with rotating exhibits and a wide range of educational programs for children and adults.
“Our definition of community continues to grow and expand,” said Kinkade, pointing to the growing number of individuals from outside Boyle County who participate in the Art Center’s exhibits, ceramics studio, classes, lectures, and special events. “Changing our name to Art Center of the Bluegrass is about aligning our name to the reality of our mission and our programs,” Kinkade explains.
Kinkade says that the Art Center of the Bluegrass will still have the same passion, creativity, and fun that the organization has always been known for – plus new programs, classes, exhibits, and events that showcase the power of the arts to transform communities.
“The Art Center of the Bluegrass will be the leading visual art center of the region,” said Kinkade. “We are uniquely positioned to deliver high-quality visual arts exhibits and programs for the region and we look forward to continuing to support Danville’s growing identity as an arts destination for tourists and residents alike.”
The Art Center will host a public event on Aug. 17 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. to celebrate their history and future. Guests can experience the Art Center’s new art acquisitions, including work by Sheldon Tapley and two “Zoomer” panels by the late Stephen Rolfe Powell. Kinkade says that the Zoomers were part of the last series that Powell worked on and that he had been excited about the collaboration with the Art Center.
“Stephen was a member of the Arts Center’s first Board of Directors,” said Kinkade. “He has been a dear friend and an inspiration to our artist community.”
The Arts Center had been working with Powell on the acquisition for several months before his death. Powell selected the pieces he believed best interacted with the natural light of the Arts Center’s lobby, and made plans for their installation. Kinkade says that the pieces will serve as a permanent tribute to Powell’s creative legacy. “We are honored to provide this opportunity for his work to be accessible to his community.”
Members of the Plein Air Artists of Central Kentucky will also be present at the August 17 event, which will showcase brand-new artwork by the group in the “En Plain Air” exhibit. The event is free and open to the public, with light nibbles by regional partners, beer and wine for sale by the glass, and live music.
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