GRAC AUDIO TOUR

SCAN THE BIG YELLOW QR CODE AT THE ENTRANCE TO START THE TOUR AND FOLLOW ALONG HERE

#1

Front Desk

  • Welcome to the Gateway Regional Arts Center established in 2009. Nestled in-between the rolling hills and horse farms of Central Kentucky and the mountains and hollers of Eastern Kentucky, Mount Sterling offers a unique conduit - the “Gateway,” as it is known here - between the two distinct landscapes and cultures. The Gateway Regional Arts Center, better known by the locals as GRAC sees itself as the cultural heartbeat of that conduit; it’s a place where we embrace our rich and vast identities and explore them through myriad art forms. Now take a moment to find the mosaic hanging behind the front desk. By Julie Ann Dilling. “Sew What?” was presented in a collection at the 11th annual Mosaic Arts International conference by the society of American Mosaic artists. Quilting was a craft born of necessity, a necessity born of scarcity. Quilts were made of cast off scraps of fabric, often left over from making a family’s clothing. Quilting fit in perfectly with the Appalachian character of thrift, following the old ditty: “Make it Do, Wear it out, Use it up, Do without.” Take a moment to notice how the artist has used something we think of as rigid and hard to depict something soft and fluid like fabric. As we move through the museum, challenge yourself to find things like this that provoke or inspire you. 

    Now if you look to your left between the gift shop and elevator you will see our portrait of Ms. Cay Ramey Lane. Cay R. Lane was a key figure in starting the Montgomery County Council for the Arts founded in 1991, and the first Executive Director of GRAC when it opened in 2009 until 2016. This is a portrait of her, oil on canvas, painted by Frederico Pizurro in 2010. In 2023, the Board and Staff of GRAC unveiled the Cay R. Lane events series honoring Ms. Lane's dedication and driving force behind the Montgomery County Council for the Arts which she spearheaded the formation of in 1991. Also, the street adjacent to the Arts center that you came in on is now ceremoniously called Cay Ramey lane, further honoring her devotion to the community and utilizing the convenience of her last name as a common street identifier. Cay Ramey “lane”, get it? If you’ve had enough of my attempt at humor, move to the right and look up to see a female figure reaching out to you. 

#2

The Muse

  • The Muse welcomes you into the Art center, a stylistic contrast of classical and contemporary, this piece is made with wood and high density foam. By Frederico Pizurro. Pizzuro, lovingly known as Fred, was born in the Sicily region of Italy and was educated at the Academia Di Belle Arti di Palermo and immigrated to the United States in 1949. For many years, Pizzuro worked for the Chrysler corporation as an automotive designer and industrial sculptor. Take a moment to look at the whimsical shapes surrounding the muse, many people say that they can see the influence of Pizzuro’s work at Chrysler in the design of the Muse. What do you think? What do you see? After retiring in 1980, Fred Pizzuro moved to Lexington, Kentucky where he befriended Larry Keisel, the owner of Mt. Sterling’s Ruth Hunt Candies. And the rest as they say is history. Fred built this piece in the very spot where you are standing, spending meticulous hours crafting the piece specifically for this institution. *whispers* Also he named her Matilda, I think she looks more like a Delphine or something more regal, don’t you? Anyway, moving on, if you turn to your left through the double doors you will enter the Gille Frye Gallery.

#3

The Gillie Frye Gallery

  • Named after a donor, Gillie Frye never visited GRAC but loved the monthly cards we used to send out and she saw the impact the Arts center was having on the community and the Eastern Kentucky region, Mrs. Frye left half a million dollars to the Gateway Regional Arts Center. A ceramic hen owned by her was gifted to us by a family member and sits somewhere in the building, see if you can spot it as we go on. Our exhibitions in this gallery change throughout the year. Check out the current gallery’s QR code for more information about these specific pieces you are seeing. But before you do that, look up! Take a moment to admire the tin ceiling tiles that are original to the building. These ceiling tiles were popular in American architecture from the 1870’s through the 1930’s. These specific tiles are dated to 1923, when the back portion of the building was added. Simple, yet extravagant, these tiles were durable, lightweight and fireproof. Their popularity spanned the gap from the wealthy to middle class because of their affordability. Thanks to a Save America’s Treasure grant from the National Parks service, the Montgomery County Council for the Arts was able to restore and preserve these tiles for future generations. Walking back into the foyer and looking up, watching over the stairs sits “Don’t Fence Me In”

#4

Don’t Fence Me In

  • Oil on 2 canvases, by Kentucky artist Joyce Garner, 2006. Renowned Southern-American artist Joyce Garner has exhibited across the United States and internationally. Her work is known to be colorful, large scale, figurative and in her words “narrative symbolism”. Let your eyes adjust for a moment and take in the full piece, spanning across 2 panels. Oh I see something new! And there’s a new figure I’ve never seen before, what do you see? Pause the track and stay as long as you like to take it all in. Once you're finished, walk underneath the painting into Dempsey’s Corner, named in honor of Marion Dempsey, the construction manager who worked tirelessly to bring this building back to life. Mr. Dempsey was an avid supporter of the Arts Center from its inception, leading the renovation to be on time and under budget. Home to what we call a “lending library”, people can take books, and people can donate books. No questions asked. GRAC is also the Montgomery County affiliate for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, sending one free book a month to children all over the county.

#5

Nancy Green

  • By Diane Howell, a bust of glazed clay. This is the face of Nancy Green, the original spokesperson for “Aunt Jemima”, who was born right here in Montgomery County. Born into slavery in Mt. Sterling, sometime during her late teens - early 20’s, Green obtained her freedom and began work in Covington as a nanny for the Walker family. She moved with them from Covington to Chicago. Years later, on the recommendation of Walker’s son, then a judge, Green was hired by the R.T. Davis Milling Company in Missouri to represent “Aunt Jemima,” an advertising character named after a song from a minstrel show. She was the woman who served as the face of one of the most popular brands for more than 100 years. Although Aunt Jemima became a household name for a century, Green was also a philanthropist who was one of the founding members of the Olivet Baptist Church, once the largest African-American church in the United States. Nancy used her economic power to advocate against poverty and support organizations fighting for equal rights. This bust was unveiled at the 1st ever Nancy Green Pancake Queen Spring Festival at the Arts Center in 2022. The national discourse around the Aunt Jemima brand is often contentious, residents of Montgomery County take pride in Nancy Green’s origins here while still remaining cognizant of the not so positive aspects that Mt. Sterling must have played into her life before freedom.

    Now enter the door to your right into the Lewis Apperson White Performance Hall.

#6

Performance Hall

  • Named in memory of a donor’s father who loved the arts. The original building was constructed in 1883 and housed The First United Methodist Church. The hardwood below your feet, the pendant lights above your head, and the stained glass glimmering in your eye are all original. After a deep research initiative into the records and origins of the buildings it was unearthed that the 5 stain glass windows on either side of you date back even further to a previous building on this property, these windows were constructed in 1827, and were added to the current building when it was rebuilt in 1883. In 2000, the First United Methodist Church moved to a new location. In 2001 the Montgomery County Council for the Arts purchased the building. After some major foundation issues were solved, renovation on the building began in 2007 and opened as GRAC in 2009. And wait until you hear the acoustics. Go ahead, make a noise, sing a tune *singing*, listen to that echo. You can imagine that this venue is a favorite among the region's choral and instrumental ensembles. Be sure to grab a listing of our upcoming events before you leave today.

    Now head up to the 2nd floor, you can either take the stairs or the elevator. Once you’re up there find the next number. See you up there!

#7

Second Floor

  • Heading to your left through the glass door you will find yourself in the J.D. Wilson Gallery, named after a Mt. Sterling native who now lives in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He is a huge supporter of the arts and wanted to give back to his hometown. This gallery houses the Ruth Hunt Wood collection. An artist herself, Ruth Hunt Wood spent a lot of time in Kenya working with the locals and creating art. She would then bring back their artwork to sell and return the funds to support their tribes. She was instrumental in creating a program where artists were selected from Kenya to come to the University of Kentucky and work with students, staff and community. The artists would then create a body of work for an exhibit and she would choose a piece from each to add to her collection. She donated the collection to us. We now house the largest collection of Contemporary Kenyan art in North America.

    Leaving JD Wilson, to your left you will find the Imagination Lab.

#8

Imagination Lab

  • GRAC’s very own working art studio. We have classes of all kinds here, including painting, drawing, sculpting, and more. This space is a favorite of the Gate City Arts Guild, founded by a group of local professional artists, arts educators and hobbyists. This group was integral to the initial success of The Arts Center and is still active with many classes and programs today. On your way out, check out the guild hallway filled with art from its members. Located in the back hallway of the main floor. This room is also home to our Smithsonian Media Maker space, a mini film studio. In 2023, The Smithsonian Institution selected Mt. Sterling as one of 2 communities in the nation for the Youth In Rural America Initiative, this program not only empowered young people to envision solutions for invasive community challenges, it also provided the funding to commission a free and open source media makers space for filmmaking, podcasting, digital art projects and more. This space is free of charge and open to anyone in the community. Moving back out into the hall and to your left we have a Rehearsal Studio. This is a space where music, theatre, and dance is created and rehearsed. We hold performing arts classes here and it is also available to reserve. The piano in this room was donated by Carol Hayes. Can you guess what those white bars are for? If you guessed ballet, you are correct! The Eastern Kentucky Academy at GRAC provides over 150 classes each year in music, theatre, dance, visual arts, traditional arts, foodways, and more! Many of the rehearsal supplies were provided generously by Caswell-Prewitt realty, a great supporter of the Arts. Making your way onto the elevator and down to our bottom floor you will find The ArtX Gallery/Sterling Cup Cafe.

#9

ArtX Gallery

  • The ArtX Gallery is reserved for work by up and coming artists. The majority of artists whose work is accepted into the art x series are presenting their work publicly for the very first time, thus is is the mission of the program to teach these emerging professionals about the specifics of curating an exhibition, hanging their works, pricing structures and how to light art properly. The hope is that artists will take this opportunity as a resume builder and a professional development opportunity for their future career. The cafe is a place where people can come work, study and create. It also serves as a host to our coffee-house style events, such as poetry readings for our bi-annual literary magazine, “The Uncommon Grackle”, or open mic nights where locals can try out a new song in front of a supportive crowd. During renovation this is also the space where our dressing rooms were added for many renowned performers who share their talents with the region on our stage. Turn back to the elevator and to the left of our self serve coffee counter, the white door in front of you is the entrance to the GRAC Pottery Studio. I know it looks out of place, but go on in. Here we teach pottery classes, and have our very own working kiln. Some pottery you might see here is from our Art for Recovery program, which is an arts and health initiative that integrates creative arts therapy with lessons on substance abuse rehabilitation with women who are incarcerated at Montgomery County Regional Jail. Through a partnership with the Montgomery County Health Department, we meet weekly with inmates and teach an art class. This program is generously funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, South Arts, and CHI - St. Joseph. The equipment and tools were donated by Carolyn Zolman, a Lexington artist, and the Morehead State University Ceramics Guild. This is our last stop. On your way out make sure to put a pin on our visitors map, stop by the Artpalachia Gift Shop where we sell work by local artists as well as GRAC souvenirs. If you would like to volunteer or make a donation let our receptionist know. Thank you for visiting the Gateway Regional Arts Center in Mt. Sterling, Kentucky where we believe in all the arts for all the people.