The Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Batesville Area Arts Council (BAAC) to commemorate the grand opening of its newly expanded and renovated Work/Shop on Main.
The event marked a major milestone for BAAC, which recently completed an expansion within its historic building on Main Street.
The renovations include the addition of a new gift shop, a larger workshop area, and the introduction of a Community Gallery dedicated to showcasing the artwork of talented local artists.
BAAC Board President Abby Perrine spoke to the assembled crowd, detailing the organization’s journey in transforming the space from a rental property into an enhanced extension of the previous workshop. This updated area will now be able to accommodate a greater number of participants in the various art classes offered by BAAC. According to Perrine.
“None of this would be possible without the visionary talent and drive of our BAAC Executive Director, Carly Dahl,” Perrine said. “Once she sets her mind on something, it happens. So, this wouldn’t be possible without her leadership and talent. Thanks to Carly, the workshop space can now seat 40 students and host more classes for the community.”
Dahl also shared her enthusiasm for the newly renovated space.
“We are so excited to share this new chapter with our supporters and the community,” said Dahl. “This renovation was made possible through the generosity of our sponsors and community investors. I want to extend heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped make my vision come true, including First Community Bank, Batesville Preservation Association, Citizens Bank, Lyon College, White River Health, Bad Boy Mowers, FARCO, Precise, Bob Carius, Ray & Diane LaCroix, Abby & Zach Perrine, and Racheal & Alex Roofe. And my husband, Dustyn Bork, helped with a long list of last-minute tasks, so I want to thank him for making today possible.”
Chamber ambassadors in attendance include Kendra Collier-McMahan (Approve Home Health and Caring Hands), Adam Curtwright (Centennial Bank), Ashley Davis (Citizens Bank), Amy Finster (FARCO), Aaron Herndon (Citizens Bank), Lindy Hopper (First Community Bank), Amy Crouch Howard (Weichert, Realtors – The Property Shoppe), Tammy Jeffrey (First Community Bank), Michael Kelley (Peco Foods), Alexandra McClain (Myers-Davis Life Coaching), Cassidy Mitchell (Lyon College), Sarah Ring (Southern Bank), Brenda Rivera (First Community Bank), Lucy Rodriguez (George’s Inc.), Lori Tacker (Batesville Eye Care Center), Christina Watts (LaCroix Precision Optics), Chad Whiteaker (White River Now), and Sydney Wood (Main Street Batesville).
Image: Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce
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