GRAC serves not just Mt. Sterling, but a multi-county region across Central and Eastern Kentucky. Our audiences, partners, and programs span Montgomery, Bath, Menifee, Rowan, Powell, Wolfe, and Clark counties — and increasingly, we connect to state and national networks. Whether through touring exhibitions, regional theatre collaborations, or shared educational initiatives, GRAC thinks in terms of regional assets and mutual uplift. We regularly convene organizations across sectors — from healthcare to housing — using arts as a shared language and connector.

GRAC is a trusted convener. Our building is a literal and symbolic gathering space — a former church turned cultural center — where artists, activists, elders, and youth come together to address issues that matter. We host monthly community exhibits, annual regional forums, and countless events that prompt shared reflection on topics such as recovery, food insecurity, racial justice, Appalachian identity, and more. When no one else is calling the meeting — GRAC does.

Our staff and leadership live here. We know the people, the stories, the barriers, and the dreams of this place. We have built long-standing relationships across political, generational, and geographic divides — from youth in juvenile detention to seniors in memory care to local entrepreneurs and church leaders. We don't just “do” programs — we live the lives of our community members, which gives GRAC an authenticity and trust that cannot be manufactured.

GRAC is in the transformation business. We are not chasing short-term applause or transactional results. We’re building a foundation for the next 50 years — to ensure that arts, culture, and creativity are permanently integrated into how rural Kentucky thrives. We believe in the power of generational change, and we invest in early childhood, youth leadership, and legacy documentation to make that vision real.

GRAC’s programs defy easy categorization. A single initiative may involve public health, youth mentorship, arts education, and food access — all wrapped in a creative frame. We’ve worked with recovery centers, housing authorities, tourism commissions, mental health providers, school systems, churches, jails, and immigrant communities. We refuse to “stay in our lane” when we know the real work lives in the connections between systems.

When we see something missing, we step in. GRAC helped launch new programs for justice-impacted women, accessible arts education for autistic adults, and free wellness classes for low-income families. We identified a regional need for performance space — and now we are developing a new performing arts center to fill that gap. Our programs don’t just entertain — they solve real problems in innovative, arts-centered ways.

Collaboration is not a buzzword at GRAC — it’s our way of being. Every exhibit, concert, or class is the product of collective effort: schools, nonprofits, city government, businesses, and individual citizens. We build partnerships that last, and we see our role as a backbone organization holding space for mutual visioning, shared resources, and community voice.

From our Fellowship programs and Academy classes to our Youth Advisory Council and regional grantmaking partnerships, GRAC has built scaffolding for collaborative creativity. Our facility itself is a tool — with classrooms, galleries, gathering spaces, and performance venues that serve the full community. We provide infrastructure (both physical and organizational) for others to succeed.

GRAC translates national policies and funding opportunities to fit local realities — and we also tell our local story up the chain. From advising on national arts panels to presenting at major conferences, we advocate for rural voices in cultural policy. We bring nationally known artists to Eastern Kentucky, and send our own talent out to the world. We serve as a translator between grassroots action and big-picture impact.

When the needs change, GRAC evolves. We’ve launched programs in response to floods, school closures, COVID-19, and the rise in youth mental health challenges. We try bold ideas — from edible gardens to sensory-friendly concerts to economic development feasibility studies. We’re not afraid to pivot or prototype. Our creativity is not just in the content we produce — it’s in our way of working.

As an arts institution in a rural, politically complex, and underfunded environment, we take risks every day. We present challenging exhibits. We elevate underrepresented voices. We propose big, audacious ideas — and funders and partners have followed, because we’ve built the credibility to back up our vision. We create a culture where trying — and sometimes failing — is part of progress.

Ultimately, GRAC answers to the people of our region. Every strategic decision, every programmatic choice, is driven by the belief that everyone deserves access to creativity, opportunity, and belonging. We serve the whole community — and we are building a region where the arts aren’t extra — they’re essential.