PRESS RELEASE
November 14th, 2023
The Carnegie Center Becomes the Cultural Arts Center
The Floyd County Library is pleased to announce that the Carnegie Center for Art & History is now The Floyd County Library Cultural Arts Center. This name strengthens the connection to the Library, increasing transparency that the museum is a branch of the Library.
Evolving and adapting to meet community needs, the Cultural Arts Center will serve as a hub for the arts, culture, and history. The Center will offer innovative exhibitions, programs, and services that encourage artistic growth, exploration, and learning. Cross-collaboration between Library branches will create a more enriching experience for guests.
As the historic Carnegie building approaches its 120th anniversary in 2024, these changes are a source of celebration and inspiration. “The Cultural Arts Center is a reimagining of what it means to be a Library,” says Floyd County Library Executive Director Melissa Merida. “We are commemorating the building’s history as the original location for the New Albany Public Library, while looking toward the future, finding creative and impactful ways to connect and engage with audiences.”
The Library has expanded its services at the Center, through a collection of art books that can be checked out, and by providing a second Makerspace location thanks to a grant from Samtec Cares. This Audio/Visual Arts Makerspace at the Cultural Arts Center includes equipment and software for photography and photo editing, video and audio projects, a podcast sound booth, and digital art-making.
Committed to the preservation and curation of local art and history, the Center has grown its permanent collection of over 450 works of art from renowned artists including George Morrison, John James Audubon, and Penny Sisto. Meticulous restoration and archival practices ensure that local art, many of which depict life in Southern Indiana throughout the past two centuries, is conserved for generations to come. These works are part of the Library’s Special Collections, which consist of over 10,000 historic photographs and more than 180 archival collections.
An opening reception for the Center’s upcoming exhibition “Intentionally Intimate: The Choice to Work Small” will take place on Thursday, November 30th from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., highlighting the works of five artists who have mastered the art of making a statement in a tiny space.
The Cultural Arts Center will also offer a special exhibition “Star Wars Meets Indiana Jones: The Hero’s Journey of David West Reynolds” in the summer of 2024, tying into the Library’s Galactic Adventures Summer Reading Program. This exhibit will highlight the journey of New Albany native Dr. Reynolds from his beginnings as a teen at The Floyd County Library, to a successful career in archaeology, to a creator in the Star Wars universe working for Lucasfilm and a New York Times bestselling author.