Less than a year away from its 25th birthday, the Janice Mason Art Museum in Cadiz has gone from a backyard idea to a full-fledged bastion of culture and learning.
Not bad for a place that was once the county’s biggest post office — and nearly went into public auction when the federal institution relocated to Lakota Drive.
During Thursday’s Trigg County Chamber of Commerce “Lunch & Learn,” local historian and JMAM co-founder Paul Fourshee regaled about the facility and its caretakers — 16 board members and the over-arching Cadiz Community Art Center organization.
Fourshee said he still remembers those first moments back in 1997, when the idea first started to ruminate. He, Karen Clement and Ann Taylor learned that the post office was moving, and they gathered on his back deck on Main Street — and started scribbling.
That first meeting spurned a fury of activity and fundraising — fundraising, Fourshee said, that raised more than $38,000 at the same time a Cadiz Rotary Auction and a Relay For Life were going on in the community.
Janice Powell Mason, a Trigg County High School graduate, came in to visit during that 1997 Mother’s Day. She contacted Fourshee and others, detailing that she’d been following the fundraising efforts and the cost of the building.
Around the same time former Cadiz Mayor Jim Ricks and Cadiz City Council kept the building from hitting the public auction block, Mason noted she wanted to contribute in a big way.
Fourshee noted the umbrella of the organization and its proud property is simple, but effective. There’s a studio and classrooms in the basement, where summer student classes and occasional painting and drawing classes can take place.
On the main floor come art exhibits of all kinds: local, regional, national and international invited and accepted. Fourshee said most events and presentations are planned out 18 months ahead, particularly if they involve fundraising efforts.
It’s helped keep some stable financial footing — something that was important during COVID’s two-year freeze on public events.
More than a decade ago, Southern Kentucky Independent Theatre combined with the JMAM, and Fourshee said there’s always been a desire to add a physical theatre in downtown Cadiz.
The JMAM receives $1,500 annually from the state arts council and another $3,000 annually from the Cadiz Rotary Club — both of which, Fourshee said, help with programming and other needs.
Foot traffic details are important for the state’s grant applications, and Fourshee added that the Trigg County Middle and High School art exhibits, as well as the annual Christmas Tree exhibit, typically draw the most attention.
And there’s always a push for new members. Fourshee said those who join at the $100 level become card carriers for North America Reciprocal Museums — which provides free tickets to more than 1,100 art museums nationwide, allows for certain gift shop discounts, and gives local members immediate VIP ahead-of-schedule access to up-and-coming events and exhibits.
They’ve already sold out of this year’s “Dinner On Main,” too, which resumed after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
Located at 71 Main Street, hours are typically 10 AM-4 PM Tuesday through Sunday. For more information, call (270) 522-9056.