Kentuck Art Center Plans Significant Expansion At Queen City Park

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Kentuck Art Center on Tuesday announced plans for an expansion project that will see a new event venue, museum, retail storefront and café at the Queen City Park that presently houses the Mildred Westervelt Warner Transportation Museum.

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The news comes as the nonprofit gears up to host the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Tuscaloosa's Snow Hinton Park for the very first time this October after the decision was made to move the festival from its longtime location in Northport.

"This expansion represents an exciting new chapter in Kentuck's history," Kentuck Art Center Executive Director Exa Skinner said. "We're grateful to the City of Tuscaloosa for the
opportunity to collaborate on this project, and we look forward to preserving the architecture of this building and honoring the legacy of Mildred Westervelt Warner."

City officials said this week that the transportation museum sees less than 2,500 visitors a year, which is roughly the same number of visitors during a busy day at the Tuscaloosa Farmers Market on the other side of Jack Warner Parkway.

For its share of the renovations, the mayor's proposed capital budget for the upcoming fiscal year, if approved by the City Council, would contribute $1.4 million from its River District Fund, along with a $10 million bond issuance in fiscal year 2026 through Elevate Tuscaloosa.

Maddox made the pitch on Tuesday as part of his capital projects budget proposal and expressed excitement for the city's partnership with Kentuck.

"This is an exciting opportunity to expand the reach of Kentuck's arts programming in our community and our city," Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox said. "This expansion will amplify our Arts & Entertainment District, and continue to transform our riverfront into a destination for residents and visitors alike."

Kentuck officials point out that the historic Queen City Pool House was designed by Frank Loyd Wright's apprentice Don Buel Schuyler, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.

Due to its historic designation, the concrete bleachers and other structures on the property will not be disturbed. Rather, Kentuck and the city aim to enhance the property while maintaining its historic integrity.

What's more, Kentuck has reiterated that the buildout at Queen City Park will not impact the nonprofit's footprint in Northport or its existing programming on its main campus in Historic Downtown Northport.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reactivate a historic area and create a destination that's truly special," Skinner said. "This project increases accessibility to the arts for all, whether you live in Tuscaloosa County or you're visiting from out of town."

In rolling out the plans, officials said Kentuck Art Center has experienced substantial growth and expansion in its programming in recent years, with the nonprofit hosting 223 days of scheduled activities last year such as workshops, art markets, art nights, and other special events.

Kentuck says the number of scheduled workshops ballooned to over 140, marking a significant rise from the 13 workshops offered in 2019.

Indeed, Kentuck said the growth is mirrored in its workshop participation, which rose from 64 participants in 2019 to 833 participants last year.

Attendance also improved for Kentuck's events, with more than 1,000 visitors attending Art Markets and over 2,000 attendees at Art Nights in 2023.

"Kentuck Art Center has experienced exponential growth in the last 10 years and has been looking for opportunities to expand throughout Tuscaloosa County since 2019," Kentuck Art Center Board President Michelle Robinson said. "This is an exciting first step in the expansion, and Kentuck will continue its pursuit of offering more classroom spaces throughout the county."

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