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CC Community Band, 2019. Those associated with the project were known as “Barns Raisers,” and they kept on that message for six years. “We pursued every avenue we could,” Kincannon said. Gifts came in all sizes — $5 to $100,000 — as did grant money. The Town of Berryville and Clarke County governments contributed, too, so the Barns of Rose Hill could also serve as a tourism center. “When the Barns finally opened in September 2011, it was exactly what we envisioned,” Kincannon said. “There was classical music, bluegrass, jazz, theater, and so much visual art. Ten years later, the Barns continues to fulfill our vision, and it has exceeded my expectations.” Like Hobert, Susi Bailey was born and raised in Clarke County, and over the years she has owned a business along Berryville’s Main Street and served in many civic organizations, including Downtown Berryville Inc. “This is my community, and the Barns project was a community effort, so of course I helped.” In a predominantly agricultural area, one hurdle was explaining the
Clarke need for a cultural center. “Do we need art and music?” The question was often asked, Bailey said, but the movement to preserve the historic barns and create a place for art and music grew and grew. “When we broke ground for the Barns in 2010, I felt like I had been pregnant for 10 years and had finally given birth,” Bailey said, laughing. After opening, the board served as management until it could find money for a small staff, and it took the Barns a while to find its audience and attract the recognized artists and musicians it does today. “We’ve been pretty stable since 2014,” Bailey said, adding, “We have a good 13-member board, good staff, and every year more people come for the shows.” In 2019 almost 10,000 people passed through the Barns’ doors, Kincannon said, noting visitors were coming from Northern Virginia, the Shenandoah Valley, and West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle. “Momentum was building for a better year in 2020.” Then came the coronavirus. Businesses everywhere — especially performance venues — were hit hard financially by the global pandemic. Sarah Ames, who began as the Barns’ office manager in 2017, was named executive director in January 2020, just as the world was beginning to hear about COVID-19. “Our 2020 schedule was fully booked with about 40 concerts, 30 community events, and weekly programs like music jams and art classes. Then, we had to shut down for months.” Its small staff — Ames, program director Morgan Morrison, director of operations Nathan Borger, and parttime office manager Tiwana Brooks —
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