Gateway Center for the Arts

Our History

In 1991 the Montgomery County Parks and Recreation Commission formed an advisory group to address the need for arts and cultural activities in Montgomery County . In the same year this advisory group developed the "Fall for the Arts!" Festival followed by a spring festival in 1992 to celebrate Mt. Sterling 's Bicentennial.

Recognizing a need and desire for arts and cultural activities, the advisory group recommended that an autonomous organization be created.

In 1992 the Montgomery County Council for the Arts was formed and has flourished over the years. To date they have presented over 255 projects and programs for the community and surrounding region.

In 1996 the Council decided to renovate a storefront on Mt. Sterling 's Main Street as a part of the "Main Cross Development." After a brief capital campaign this space became the "Gallery for the Arts." For the past six years this small gallery space has served as an art gallery, the Art Shop, a meeting place, office, and the center of activity for the arts in Mt. Sterling .

The Montgomery County Council for the Arts has received accolades from the Kentucky Arts Council and other arts organizations across the state for presenting a balance of traditional and contemporary/diverse art forms and exhibits in the “Gallery for the Arts.”

As the council has grown in its breadth of programming so has the need for space and consolidation. After careful thought and investigation, the Arts Council Board realized that it must invest in the future of all the arts in Montgomery County . In 2002, they decided to purchase the Historic First United Methodist Church on Main Street to become the future home of the arts for Montgomery County and surrounding counties.