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Attending a play, a concert, or another cultural event is a great way to learn more about art and have a wonderful time. Kids and adults can enjoy many cultural arts venues near Paintsville, Kentucky. Here are some of the best places to experience some culture in the area.
1. The Jenny Wiley Theatre
The Jenny Wiley Theatre is in Pikeville, about 45 minutes away from Paintsville. It’s the only professional theater in eastern Kentucky that offers productions all year, and it’s a non-profit organization that receives funding from charitable foundations, corporations, and individuals. The Prestonsburg Convention Center and Visitors Bureau, the Kentucky Arts Council, the City of Pikeville, and the Kentucky Department of Travel support it. The theater also gets federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.
The Jenny Wiley Theatre performs matinees for school groups and evening shows for others. Upcoming plays include “Greater Tuna” and Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night.” “Greater Tuna” is a comedy about an eclectic group of people living in a small town in Texas. Only two performers portray animals, women, men, and children, making this fun satire even more delightful. This version of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” is set in the 1980s for even bigger laughs than the original.
2. The Mountain Arts Center
The Mountain Arts Center or MAC is in Prestonburg, about 20 minutes away from Paintsville. It opened in 1996, and it has a theater with more than 1,000 seats. This facility also has several large meeting rooms, an art gallery, a commercial recording studio, an arts education room, and many individual practice rooms. The Cedar Coal Exhibit features photos and art inspired by mining. It also has artifacts used in the mines. The Arts Education Department offers piano, voice, violin or fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, and visual art lessons.
The state-of-the-art venue often hosts musicians from a wide range of genres, including bluegrass, rock, gospel, and country. Past performers include Billy Ray Cyrus, Loretta Lynn, Ricky Skaggs, Patty Loveless, Chris Stapleton, and Dwight Yoakam. Billie Jean Osborne’s Kentucky Opry has been performing at MAC for decades, and the Christmas show is a visitor favorite. It has carols, hymns, and popular music with a seasonal theme. You can also see the Junior Pros, a group of musicians from six to 16 years old. People often use the Band Room and the Marvin Music Lobby for meetings, parties, and special events.
3. The Paramount Arts Center
The Paramount Arts Center opened in 1931 as the Paramount Theatre, and it has many of the original Art Deco fixtures and furnishings. It’s in Ashland, about an hour away from Paintsville. You can see musicians, musicals, symphonies, stand-up comedy, and more at this ornate, beautiful venue. It seats 1400 people, and it shows about 120 performances per year.
Seeing a performance or checking out works by local artists can help you learn more about the Paintsville area. It’s also a great activity for going on a date, having fun with friends, or teaching your kids more about art and culture.
Image via Pixabay.com
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