Work on renovating old Belk building into community center gaining momentum

Robert Gipe, who co-chairs the Harlan County Community Foundation Board, welcomed community members on a sneak-peek tour of the old Belk building in downtown Harlan that is being renovated into a community arts center. (Photo by Jennifer McDaniels)

An October 26, 2023 article from Harlan Enterprise discusses the renovation of an old Belk building in Harlan, Kentucky into a community arts center by the Harlan County Community Foundation and Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College. The building will be a mixed-use space for retail, residential, office, and cultural activities. It is set to open in July 2024 along with the 10th production of Higher Ground, a local theater group, and an arts and wellness festival.

The renovation and arts initiatives align with the mission of artsforeverybody.org to use the arts to build healthier communities. The article highlights how the arts center will provide a space for cultural activities and bring people together. The Higher Ground theater productions and planned festival promote community dialogue and holistic wellbeing. This echoes artsforeverybody.org's goal of proving the arts can lead to healthier people and communities. The Harlan projects also showcase local artists and culture, celebrating diversity, similar to how artsforeverybody.org aims to highlight the sounds, styles, and stories of different communities. Overall, the renovated arts center and related arts programming in Harlan demonstrate the power of the arts to engage people, foster connections, and improve wellbeing - core tenets of the artsforeverybody.org mission.

Check out the full story at HarlanEnterprise.net