OUR HISTORY - A STRONG FOUNDATION
🎨 2013
April: The Butler County Arts Guild, organized by Josh Hampton with the purpose of promoting artists in Butler County. The Arts Guild’s first project was a mural designed by Andee Rudloff located in Morgantown. This hands-on, artist-participation project inspired many to join the Guild.
August: “Music at the Mural,” an acoustical jam session, was started. Josh remained president through the end of 2015. Our presidents following Josh were Gary Smrtic, Karen Lain, Roger Givens, Dakota Hayse, current president Laura Simpkinson.
🎨 2016
The Guild establishes a gallery with exhibits that change every six to eight weeks up, continuing to today. Artwork displayed by local artists, featured artists, writers, and photographers. Most of the work to the building was done by our members.
🎨 2018
May: After years of work, we celebrate our Grand Opening. We begin offering free guitar, fiddle and basic art lessons. The Guild sponsors a writer workshop with Ron Whitehead.
Since then, we've had many programs, exhibits and activities, including but not limited to:
Kentucky Arts Council’s Making of the Masters, Native Reflections and Our Kentucky Home, which showcased Hispanic artists.
Annual West Ohio Street Chalk Art Festival;
Basket making class with Kentucky’s most famous weavers Scott Gilbert and Beth Hester, who are Smithsonian exhibitors;
Written in the Stars concert with Sherri Phelps, Juilliard graduate, music instructor at EKU, and Butler County native;
Book signings;
Performance by Thumb Picking Hall of Fame guitarist Joe Hudson;
Piano concert by Adrianna Vossbrinck;
Evening with actor Andy Stahl, discussing his career;
As Yet Unnamed Writers Group, later the Writers Anonymous writing group;
Songwriters Group;
Two poetry workshops with Trish Jaggers, professor of English at WKU;
"Voices of Butler County" poetry project;
Children’s play Fair Minded Favor, written and directed by Guild member Nick Greenman, who has a minor in theater;
Junior Arts Guild, producing its own art show;
Hand-stitched quilt exhibit and reception on National Quilt Day for several years;
Arts for All Kentucky classes addressing children with special needs;
Stained glass classes;
Piano recital for self-taught pianists;
Writing workshops by Laramie Briscoe and Eddie Price;
“Open Mic" nights, including recitations of poetry and a variety of musical performances. Also several "open jams" on Saturday mornings, featuring local musicians;
Butler County History Bus Tours.
🎨 2019
Named a WoodSongs Coffeehouse location. After Covid, we have hosted guitarist Alonzo Pennington; Kentucky Shine; Michael Johnathon (founder of the WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour), and many more. These free concerts held quarterly have continued.
🎨 2021
Chosen "Volunteer Organization of the Year" for the second time by the Morgantown-Butler County Chamber of Commerce. Recipient of the "Governor's Award in the Arts Community Arts Organization of the Year".
🎨 2022
Growing publicity allows hiring our first employee and contributing financially to our community.
🎨 2024
After consulting with Pat Banks of the Kentucky Arts Council on strategic planning, began discission with the Kentucky Small Business Development Center about how to turn art into a successful business.
🎨 2025
We have grown to the largest membership in our history.
Over the last years, we have had three speakers from Kentucky Humanities: author Nancy Richey; historian Tommy Hines; author Jesse Donaldson; and musician Sue Massek.
Through grants from several institutions such as South Arts, Kentucky Arts Council, the City of Morgantown, the Morgantown Tourism Commission, Butler County Fiscal Court, the Butler County Tourism Commission and others, as well as through financial support from passionate private donors, we are able to support the arts in our community.
As of 2025, our activities include, but are not limited to:
- Annual Chalk Art Festival
Every year in September families gather on W. Ohio St. to take part in our Chalk Art contest, enjoy live music, ice cream, and more. This is a free event.
- Woodsongs
Quarterly, we host the Woodsongs Coffeehouse concerts. Free event.
- Jamboree
Quarterly, we showcase local musicians and celebrate the variety of music we have in our county. This, too, is a free event.
- Our gift shop features arts and crafts made by members and books written by members.
- "Have Brush, Will Travel", Paint Party
Our paint party is a lot of fun - conducted monthly in the Butler County library. Free event.
- Workshops & Classes
