EVANSVILLE – A longtime local arts nonprofit will close its doors in January.
The Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana announced that it will stage two final events in 2025 before shutting down completely and vacating its Bower-Suhrheinrich Foundation Gallery on Main Street at the beginning of 2026, executive director Anne McKim confirmed Wednesday.
According to a news release, however, a partnership with the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library could keep some of the council's events alive.
EVPL will "carry forward essential programming" such as the popular On the Roof Concert Series, where local and regional bands alike gathered atop the historic structure at 212 Main St. The library system will also host gallery exhibits, and provide marketing and development services to artists.
"The EVPL is a natural fit for carrying forward high-quality arts programming in our community,” McKim is quoted as saying in the release. “The library’s neighborhood-based system, strong infrastructure, and demonstrated excellence in program delivery provide the logistics and sustainability necessary to execute, enhance, and expand current arts opportunities."
There will be two final events at the foundation gallery: the Halloween-themed "Spooky Show," which opens with a reception on Saturday; and the annual Holiday Sale.
The Arts Council's closure comes amid a litany of cuts to arts programs across the state and the country.
The local group served as the region's partner to the Indiana Arts Commission, which saw its budget hacked 34% – a reduction of $1.7 million – during the previous state legislative session. The Trump Administration has also canceled numerous National Endowment for the Arts grants. Like many nonprofits, the arts council has also battled cuts at the local level as well.
In an email to the Courier & Press, McKim said the recent cuts are "one of many factors" behind the decision to close.
"Our board and staff have spent the last two years considering every path forward, with a focus on how best to serve artists, arts patrons and the community," she said. "I'm proud that the board has been so pragmatic and mission-focused through these conversations, and – I'm not just saying this – I think EVPL is going to be a fabulous home for the arts."
EVPL is dealing with cuts of its own. Senate Bill 1, legislation aimed at cutting property taxes that was ultimately passed into law after a fervent push by Gov. Mike Braun, will strip the library system of nearly $3 million in the next three years.
They'll lose $864,360 in property tax revenue in 2026; $939,340 in 2027 and $1,149,840 in 2028.
Including McKim, the Arts Council boasts three full-time employees. In its own post to its website announcing the move Wednesday, EVPL said it will add "an arts-focused professional" to its staff. That official would connect "patrons and the community through exhibitions, programming, and cultural engagement."
"This role curates and manages gallery spaces, plans and implements arts programs, fosters artist and community partnerships, and integrates artistic opportunities into the library’s mission of cultivating curiosity by creating wonder," the website states.
Formed in 1970 as the Evansville Arts Council, the organization has bounced between multiple locations over the decades. It's had spots on Old State Road to the Old Courthouse to Innovation Pointe to its current home on the heart of Main Street, where it moved in 2018.
That space has played host to art installations, concerts, readings and community events ranging from banquets to hot yoga.
In a promotion for the Ohio River Arts Festival not long after its founding, the Arts Council said it was "dedicated to the proposition that art should be fun" and "enjoyed by everyone."
The festival would have a puppet show for kids; jazz music for adults; a "psychedelic movie" for young people; and paintings and sculptures and plays: hallmarks that continued through its entire existence.
"The council has undertaken a remarkable project," they stated. "One that's sure to shatter a good many myths about art being only for the culture vultures."
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