The colorful Barton County Arts Center sign still hangs above the building at 1401 Main in Great Bend, but what catches the eye these days are Keller Real Estate’s “For Sale” signs in the window.
Once the venue for local art exhibits, poetry reading and the popular Back Room concert series, the building now sits idle. Faced with dwindling membership and the ongoing cost of maintaining the historic storefront, the Barton County Art Council’s board has voted to sell the building.
Board president Chet Cale said this isn’t the end of the Arts Council, however.
“Our goal is to stick with the original mission statement,” Cale said. That mission includes supporting the arts in all forms in Barton County. Incorporated as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) on Feb. 2, 1999, the Arts Council operates as a charitable and educational organization.
The building was purchased in December 1999, with the Harper family, who owned it, donating 60 percent of the appraised value. The BCAC is still paying for the building.
“We decided that we could be more effective as a Barton County arts organization if we got rid of the building and (the) paid staff,” said Robert Feldt, board vice president. “Too much of the money that we were able to raise went into the building mortgage and maintenance.”
Karen Neuforth served as the executive director of the Art Center and was paid a part-time salary for many years, although she often put in 40 hours a week or more, Cale said. Neuforth, who is still a member of the board, no longer receives a salary.
“This building has served its purpose,” Cale said, noting it was a gallery where area artists could showcase and sell their work. But the Shafer Gallery at Barton Community College also features area artists, as do Petr’s Frame House in Great Bend and the Sentinel Gallery in Ellinwood, he said.
The Barton County Historical Society, where Neuforth is now employed part-time as a researcher, has become a venue for musical programs and visual exhibits, such as the annual “Watching Young Artists Grow” display of works by Great Bend children.
“The Back Room (concert series) was very successful for many years,” Feldt said. Acoustic concerts for small audiences were held several times a year in the back of the gallery. The series originated with one BCAC member, Don Shorock, who booked the acts, arranged for their accommodations and saw to every detail. Shorock died in 2010, and the Back Room series soon came to an end.
Even without the Arts Center, BCAC has several venues available. The organization’s largest event, the 2001 Oscar Micheaux Film Festival, primarily took place at the Crest Theater in Great Bend.
Cale was the organization’s first president and holds the post again since the annual meeting held on June 27. Before that meeting, outgoing President Dr. Rick Abel urged community members to attend, saying the group could have a new focus after this year’s meeting.
Selling the building is a top priority for the board. It would free up money for other projects, Cale said.
A few potential buyers have already shown interest in the building, located across the street from the courthouse. “The location is excellent,” Feldt said.
And, for the right buyer, the asking price just under $60,000 may be right, Cale said. The main floor is ready to use, and there’s also a basement and second story.
 The building is also important historically.
“It’s the oldest masonry building in Barton County,” Cale said. “We assume the stone was from the old Fort Zarah fort.”
As for the BCAC, Cale noted that anyone wanting to support the arts in Barton County is welcome to join. Membership is $20 a year. Contact Cale by calling 620-282-0160, or send checks to the Barton County Arts Council, in care of Chet Cale Sculptor, 510 Stone St., Great Bend, KS 67530.
“We’re not changing our mission,” Cale said. “We still support arts in Barton County. We have done a lot of great things for the community and we want to continue to do that.”