Floyd Center for the Arts Marks Its 25th Anniversary! There are lots of things for which Floyd County is well known: the farming community, the Bluegrass music, the mountain scenery, and the alternative lifestyles. Perhaps most famously, however, Floyd County is known for being home to a vibrant arts community. At the heart of that community is the Floyd Center for the Arts, fondly called The Center. Propagating culture from a nearly eighty-year old, renovated barn with a silo painted the color of a Bartlett pear, The Center is located at 220 Parkway Lane South, just south of downtown Floyd. This year, The Center celebrates its silver anniversary. When Floyd Center for the Arts was established a quarter century ago, it was originally called The Jacksonville Center for the Arts. This is because the barn selected for the home of The Center was called the Old Jacksonville Barn; referencing a time prior to 1896 when the town of Floyd was called Jacksonville in honor of President Andrew Jackson. Back-to-the-landers discovered rural Floyd County in the 1970s, two decades before The Jacksonville Center was established. Many of these new residents were artists who were struck by Floyd’s natural beauty and the opportunities it offered for creativity. They were met by long-time residents who had a heritage of music and craftsmanship. It was hoped the Old Jacksonville Barn would represent this melding of artistry. Established in 1995, it took a while for The Center to focus its mission, but the vision was always one that embraced a love of Floyd and combined it with a desire bring fun and the arts together. “We hoped to become a hub of arts activities and news to not only assist artists and artisans in the region, but also to steer tourists to studios and arts opportunities,” says Lee Chichester; one of the founders, as well as one of the main proponents for the renovation of the building. “But we also wanted to save the barn. There had been rumors that the property might be purchased by a conglomerate and a cheap hotel would be erected where the barn stands.” Events such as the “Jacksonville Jam”, ice cream socials, and movie nights were organized during the summer months in the early years. Because it had the advantage of running water, most gatherings were held in the creamery area of the barn, now the Ceramic Studio. Winterfest, which became an annual December event, was staged in the barn without heat. Participants remember the festivities fondly, though they usually mention how cold their fingers were. The barn’s first tenants moved in during 1995. There were 20 www.Facebook.com/FloydVirginiaMagazine
photographers, painters, jewelers, woodworkers, and fiber artists, all hoping to produce and sell their creations. Community agencies also called The Jacksonville Center home. In addition to housing and displaying artists, the barn was sometimes rented for special events. In 1996, a fundraiser was thrown for the Floyd County High School band. It was called “The Thundering Herd Wild West Show” and featured theatrical shootouts. The first Floyd High School Art Exhibit also debuted during this time, becoming a tradition that continues today. By 1999, a variety of exhibitions were held annually, featuring the paintings, photography, and crafts of Floyd County’s eclectic citizenry. The old barn itself, however, was in need of help. “We, of the first guard (an informal reference to the team that founded the Art Center),” says Chichester, “thought of the barn as our greatest endeavor; an icon of the rural landscape, the visual definition of rural artistry and tradition. We elected to do what was affordable. As volunteers, we undertook ninetenths of the deconstruction to clear the way for renovations. We had many working days when people would come with sledgehammers and pry bars to take apart the older, non-weight-bearing walls. The rest of us would carry off the debris and fill a rented dumpster.” From 2000 to 2005, major improvements were made to the barn and adjacent buildings. Thanks to significant state and federal grants, as well as private funding, The Center renovated the barn and the site while also expanding its programs. Monies were invested in making the structure a functional facility that included amenities like accessibility for the handicapped, heating and plumbing, and the only elevator south of the town’s sole traffic light. More major improvements to both the programs and the facilities were afoot between 2014 and 2019. With the support of several significant grants and donations, The Center paved its parking lot. It also built an additional gallery and a new, energy-efficient entry way. A quiet and efficient heating and cooling system was added to the Community Room, and LED lighting replaced the less efficient incandescent lights in the galleries. Linda Fallon has been the nonprofit’s president since 2012. “It seemed to never fail that during a beautifully nuanced classical music performance, the heat or air conditioning would come on with a long
Fall/Winter 2020/2021
