The Rowan County Arts Center (RCAC) has a new director, and he said he’s planning to make big changes.
Waylan Coffey, Arts and Cultural Director for Morehead Rowan County Tourism, said he wants the RCAC to be a place for people to gather and appreciate art and community. He said that’s a little challenging right now, considering the state and structure of the center’s facility.
“I would like to modernize the space a little bit. It’s a gorgeous building, but we tend to have an audience, a smaller audience, and I would like to kind of modernize the building and again the offerings that we have, just to reach more people, from kids to college students to everyone in between,” said Coffey.
Coffey said his vision stepping into this position revolves around bringing more art and culture into the city as a whole, not just the RCAC.
“My overarching goal is to bring more art and culture to the Morehead area, and not just focus on the Rowan County Arts Center,” said Coffey. “But then, at the arts center, also just want to have more offerings, have more different types of art classes, bring in artists that aren’t just from Rowan County, but maybe that might be from western Kentucky or California.”
Coffey is a Morehead State alum and interned with the center during his time as a student. He said that experience gave him a unique perspective on art in Appalachia, which he hopes to expand upon in his new role. He said he’s honored to be back working in a place where he learned so much.