There are lots of things for which Floyd County is well known: the farming community, the Bluegrass music, the mountain scenery, and the alternative lifestyles. Perhaps most famously, however, Floyd County is known for being home to a vibrant arts community. At the heart of that community is the Floyd Center for the Arts, fondly called The Center. Propagating culture from a nearly eighty-year old, renovated barn with a silo painted the color of a Bartlett pear, The Center is located at 220 Parkway Lane South, just south of downtown Floyd. This year, The Center celebrates its silver anniversary.
When Floyd Center for the Arts was established a quarter century ago, it was originally called The Jacksonville Center for the Arts. This is because the barn selected for the home of The Center was called the Old Jacksonville Barn; referencing a time prior to 1896 when the town of Floyd was called Jacksonville in honor of President Andrew Jackson.
Back-to-the-landers discovered rural Floyd County in the 1970s, two decades before The Jacksonville Center was established. Many of these new residents were artists who were struck by Floyd’s natural beauty and the opportunities it offered for creativity. They were met by long-time residents who had a heritage of music and craftsmanship. It was hoped the Old Jacksonville Barn would represent this melding of artistry. Established in 1995, it took a while for The Center to focus its mission, but the vision was always one that embraced a love of Floyd and combined it with a desire bring fun and the arts together.
“We hoped to become a hub of arts activities and news to not only assist artists and artisans in the region, but also to steer tourists to studios and arts opportunities,” says Lee Chichester; one of the founders, as well as one of the main proponents for the renovation of the building. “But we also wanted to save the barn. There had been rumors that the property might be purchased by a conglomerate and a cheap hotel would be erected where the barn stands.”
Events such as the “Jacksonville Jam”, ice cream socials, and movie nights were organized during the summer months in the early years. Because it had the advantage of running water, most gatherings were held in the creamery area of the barn, now the Ceramic Studio.
Winterfest, which became an annual December event, was staged in the barn without heat. Participants remember the festivities fondly, though they usually mention how cold their fingers were.
The barn’s first tenants moved in during 1995. There were photographers, painters, jewelers, woodworkers, and fiber artists, all hoping to produce and sell their creations. Community agencies also called The Jacksonville Center home.
In addition to housing and displaying artists, the barn was sometimes rented for special events. In 1996, a fundraiser was thrown for the Floyd County High School band. It was called “The Thundering Herd Wild West Show” and featured theatrical shootouts. The first Floyd High School Art Exhibit also debuted during this time, becoming a tradition that continues today.
By 1999, a variety of exhibitions were held annually, featuring the paintings, photography, and crafts of Floyd County’s eclectic citizenry. The old barn itself, however, was in need of help.
“We, of the first guard (an informal reference to the team that founded the Art Center),” says Chichester, “thought of the barn as our greatest endeavor; an icon of the rural landscape, the visual definition of rural artistry and tradition. We elected to do what was affordable. As volunteers, we undertook nine-tenths of the deconstruction to clear the way for renovations. We had many working days when people would come with sledgehammers and pry bars to take apart the older, non-weight-bearing walls. The rest of us would carry off the debris and fill a rented dumpster.”
From 2000 to 2005, major improvements were made to the barn and adjacent buildings. Thanks to significant state and federal grants, as well as private funding, The Center renovated the barn and the site while also expanding its programs. Monies were invested in making the structure a functional facility that included amenities like accessibility for the handicapped, heating and plumbing, and the only elevator south of the town’s sole traffic light.
More major improvements to both the programs and the facilities were afoot between 2014 and 2019. With the support of several significant grants and donations, The Center paved its parking lot. It also built an additional gallery and a new, energy-efficient entry way. A quiet and efficient heating and cooling system was added to the Community Room, and LED lighting replaced the less efficient incandescent lights in the galleries.

Linda Fallon has been the nonprofit’s president since 2012. “It seemed to never fail that during a beautifully nuanced classical music performance, the heat or air conditioning would come on with a long and loud squeal. Today, The Center has a nearly silent and efficient heating and cooling system,” Fallon says proudly.
During this most recent series of improvements, the first House and Garden Tour, now in its sixth year, was organized as a fund-raising event. The Hayloft Gallery presented Rhythms of Glass, an exhibition of nationally known glass artists. This event was widely reported to have been one of the most impressive showcases ever held at The Center. The concert series, which actually began in 2007, continued to feature local, national, and international performers at least four times a year, often more.
“I tell visitors that one of my favorite things about the Arts Center is seeing it in an old barn. The mixture of farmers and artisans is a hallmark of Floyd,” says Jayn Avery, whose Blue Heron Pottery has a strong following. “Our vision was to bring attention to the unique collection in Floyd of local artists and artisans, including old timers and newcomers.”
The Jacksonville Center was renamed the Floyd Center for the Arts in 2016, after nine months of discussions among the Center’s board, staff, and stakeholders.
“Most current residents did not understand the use of the old town name for the Arts Center,” notes Jeff Liverman, the Center’s Executive Director. “We also had a number of situations where people in Jacksonville, Florida were signing up online for our classes, thinking the classes were taking place in Florida!”
Proudly displaying its new name, The Floyd Center for the Arts now offers a myriad of art classes, both juried and curated art shows, classical and jazz music concerts, the Floyd County House & Garden Tour, and the biennial Floyd Plein Air Festival which draws nationally recognized artists to the county. The Center also assists in leading major efforts like the annual Floyd Artisan Trail Tour, the weekly Floyd Artisan Market, and new this year, the Floyd Gallery Walk tour.
The most recent renovations include a new, creative design for The Center’s lobby, undertaken by Floyd glass artist, Liz Mears. There was also the addition of hardwood floors throughout the second floor, bringing the warmth of wood back to the barn. With so many improvements and upgrades since those earliest days, Executive Director Liverman is looking forward to the future. “Awareness is one of our biggest challenges. The Floyd Center for the Arts has a huge array of offerings from classes and workshops to festivals and concerts,” he points out. “We want to serve even more of our community and visitors to Floyd. We have faced many challenges over the last twenty-five years and emerged stronger for it.”
“The arts strengthen our community, lift our spirits and build a better quality of life that attracts new business and residents,” says Linda Fallon. She points out that the town of Floyd has a population of fewer than five hundred, with just under sixteen-thousand living in the County. Yet, in any given week, visitors to The Center’s colorful barn might view a juried art show in the Hayloft Gallery, or hear Opera Roanoke present an evening of “Puccini and His World.”
“The Center had planned to invite the community to celebrate our 25th anniversary,” Fallon continues, “but the Coronavirus intervened. We have a lot of accomplishments over the last quarter-century to be proud of, and we look forward to presenting more exciting art, classes, programs, and music. No matter what one’s age or interest, for twenty-five years, The Center has had something to offer all. It is a jewel, and one that I am proud to be associated with.”
Floyd residents and the Art Center are waiting anxiously to reopen the old barn safely. While there will not be Silver Anniversary festivities, the Floyd Center for the Arts’ board, staff, and energetic volunteers believe they have a proud legacy to celebrate. For more information, or to make a donation, go to www.FloydArtCenter.org, or call 540-745-2784.
The Floyd Center for the Arts is funded through donations, grants, art sales, and the events it holds. The Center has dedicated staff and volunteers.

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The Floyd Center for the Arts seeks to showcase, support, and facilitate artistic endeavors and rural creativity throughout Southwest Virginia. Located in a historic dairy barn in Floyd, Virginia, The Center pursues its mission through year-round educational opportunities, housing resident studio artists, mounting rotating exhibits that feature local and regional artists and artisans, and more.

Floyd Center for the Arts
www.FloydArtCenter.org • www.facebook.com/FloydArts/
220 Parkway Ln S • Floyd, VA 24091 • 540-745-2784