ASHLAND, Ky. — The Pendleton Art Center is about to celebrate its fourth anniversary. The old G. C. Murphy building had decayed into an eyesore of the downtown.

Now it is teeming with art studios, a café, a winery, printing shop and framing shop. It has doubled in size since that humble beginning in June of 2005.

Join us this First Friday for a party marking how far this downtown venture has come. You can have some cake and check out the wide variety of art and entertainment.

It’s all part of Ashland’s First Friday Art Walk. In fact, the Pendleton has become the centerpiece of the new Arts District of Ashland.

Many people are still learning about the Pendleton Art Center. It’s a place to buy art for your home or office. It’s a place to take classes from professional artists. It’s a place to have lunch at the Olive Tree Café. It’s a place to have your wonderful new art framed at Aladdin’s Art Gallery. It’s a touch of class to downtown Ashland.

The Pendleton Art Center began almost as a mistake in a rundown neighborhood of Cincinnati. It was supposed to be a place for new industry. Business owner Jim Verdin reluctantly let=2 0an artist use part of a warehouse. Little did he know that the industry would be art. When no business would buy the building, more artists began moving in. Eventually it turned into a mecca for art and now fills an entire eight story building and had to expand into an annex. Verdin has now spread his idea to Rising Sun, Indiana and to Ashland, Kentucky. We’re in on the ground floor of a growing concept.

Come find out about The Pendleton this Friday. We’re open the first Friday of every month from 5pm till 9pm. However, this Friday will be special. This is the 4th anniversary of the Pendleton Art Center.