Lakeland Art Association Has Grand Opening, Ribbon-Cutting For New Location
March 7, 2025 at 7:01 p.m.
Lakeland Art Association celebrated the grand opening of its new location at 119 S. Buffalo St., Warsaw, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday by the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce.
Melodie Koher, president of Lakeland Art Association (LAA), said the association was started in 1957. They hold art exhibits, art classes and “all sorts of art-related things.”
LAA opened on Buffalo Street Wednesday with the grand opening on Friday, moving from 302 E. Winona Ave. Koher said the association’s previous landlord wanted to sell the building, so LAA had to find a new home.
Koher said the new location will work out better because the Buffalo Street location is larger and the LAA has larger gallery space and classroom space. It also accommodates a featured artist gallery, space for the member’s gallery and a dedicated classroom space.
LAA displays fine art. It doesn’t matter if it’s water color, oils, acrylics, “we display all of it,” she stated.
As far as classes, Koher said LAA has a water color class on March 24 and two Bob Ross-style classes on March 13 and 27.
Koher said she hopes with the association being more downtown, it will bring greater foot traffic and opportunities to teach people about art.
David Taylor, LAA board of directors member, said when NASA moved to Huntsville, Ala., Huntsville was very much like Warsaw in the sense it was an agricultural community. When NASA moved to Alabama, to attract the level of scientists and people with of management and technical skills, “you have to give them something” as far as cultural things to have in the community. The first thing NASA did was to create a symphony and put in a fine arts museum because they knew they needed to bring in a cultural aspect to their community.
The association wants to bring a cultural aspect to the community to help attract talent in the orthopedic field, among other fields, Taylor said.
He said there are artist members of the LAA who are nationally known.
“A lot of people don’t know that. They have a different perception. They feel that it’s a bunch of little old ladies painting flowers and that’s not it at all,” Taylor said.
Hours of operation are Wednesday and Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Lakeland Art Association celebrated the grand opening of its new location at 119 S. Buffalo St., Warsaw, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday by the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce.
Melodie Koher, president of Lakeland Art Association (LAA), said the association was started in 1957. They hold art exhibits, art classes and “all sorts of art-related things.”
LAA opened on Buffalo Street Wednesday with the grand opening on Friday, moving from 302 E. Winona Ave. Koher said the association’s previous landlord wanted to sell the building, so LAA had to find a new home.
Koher said the new location will work out better because the Buffalo Street location is larger and the LAA has larger gallery space and classroom space. It also accommodates a featured artist gallery, space for the member’s gallery and a dedicated classroom space.
LAA displays fine art. It doesn’t matter if it’s water color, oils, acrylics, “we display all of it,” she stated.
As far as classes, Koher said LAA has a water color class on March 24 and two Bob Ross-style classes on March 13 and 27.
Koher said she hopes with the association being more downtown, it will bring greater foot traffic and opportunities to teach people about art.
David Taylor, LAA board of directors member, said when NASA moved to Huntsville, Ala., Huntsville was very much like Warsaw in the sense it was an agricultural community. When NASA moved to Alabama, to attract the level of scientists and people with of management and technical skills, “you have to give them something” as far as cultural things to have in the community. The first thing NASA did was to create a symphony and put in a fine arts museum because they knew they needed to bring in a cultural aspect to their community.
The association wants to bring a cultural aspect to the community to help attract talent in the orthopedic field, among other fields, Taylor said.
He said there are artist members of the LAA who are nationally known.
“A lot of people don’t know that. They have a different perception. They feel that it’s a bunch of little old ladies painting flowers and that’s not it at all,” Taylor said.
Hours of operation are Wednesday and Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.