Our History

POC = Nona Atkisson CKAG was the brainchild of Rebecca Wilkinson.  She was an art teacher at Fort Knox, while her husband was stationed at post.  At that time there were no local art organizations to be found.  The idea for the guild was tossed around at Barbara Gaffney's Downtown Center for the Arts (in the old Western Auto building in Elizabethtown).  The first organizational meeting took place in the summer of 1993 with Rebecca, Barbara, Mary Lou Hall, and Nona Atkisson being our founding members.  They were soon joined by Theresa Shelton and Laurie Penn.  Our first official meeting was September 1993.  Rebecca was our first President.  Nona - Vice President, Mary Lou Hall - Treasurer, France Laird - Secretary, Theresa - Program Chairman, Joe and Elsie Hall - Newsletter Publishers, and Barbara - Publicity. 

We planned our first art exhibit at First Federal Savings Bank for that fall.  By November we had 22 Guild members.  In the following spring, an All Member Show was exhibited at Gaffney's and "Landmarks of Hardin County" (which was changed to "Images of Ky" the next year) at First Federal Savings Bank.  Gaffney's Center for the Arts was our regular meeting location for the first two years.  When Barbara closed her gallery, we searched for a new meeting room.  For a while we ended up in the Golden Corral that used to be on Mulberry Street and alternated between member's homes. 

Finally we came upon Nolin RECC's community room at the old location on the corner of South Dixie and New Glendale Road in Elizabethtown.  When Nolin RECC moved to its current location on Ring Road, we were able to keep meeting in the new facility. 

Around 1995 the Hardin County Arts Council was formed and CKAG wrote for its first grant to help with community art projects.  We have continued to receive monetary help from HCAC on a yearly basis.  When Dr. Larry Hall retired from his medical practice in 1995, he allowed CKAG members to set up an artist co-op in his office building until it was rented.  Eleven Guild members signed up to display their work in the "Art Mart".  Juanita McCoy, Dr. Hall's secretary, kept the gallery open during the week and Guild members traded time on Saturdays.  Not long after that, Juanita agreed to be the Guild secretary and newsletter publisher.  She graciously still puts together the newsletter for us. 

And that brings us to where we are today....

Our constitution and by-laws: