It is with mixed feelings of sadness and joy that I announce my resignation as executive director of the Buchanan Center for the Arts, effective January 31, 2025. When I was named the BCA’s fourth executive director in 2014, I intended to serve in this position until retirement, because I did not think there was another job that could cause me to leave the BCA or the Monmouth community.
That recently changed, however, when I was offered and accepted the opportunity to be the first director of the performing arts center at Lindsey Wilson College, in Columbia, Kentucky. The Lindsey Wilson performing arts center is scheduled to open in fall 2026. As you know, my husband, Duane Bonifer, recently returned to Lindsey Wilson to serve as assistant to the president for communication and marketing.
For the last 10 years, I have loved every moment of my position with the BCA. Serving the BCA has given me countless opportunities to partner with scores of wonderful people to strengthen the community by supporting and expanding arts opportunities in our region.
Because of that partnership, the BCA has accomplished a great deal in the last decade: the BCA’s balance sheet has grown by more than 600%; the BCA has undergone five building renovation projects, including the $500,000 Pattee Plaza; and more than $4 million has been raised to support BCA projects and programming over the last decade. BCA-sponsored exhibits, classes, theater productions, and outreach programs served more than 20,000 individuals annually.
It has been a remarkable decade for the arts in the tri-county region, in no small part because of an incredibly committed and hard-working corps of volunteers all of whom share a passion for making the arts accessible to area residents. Together, they have contributed to an alchemy that has helped shape the BCA into one of the premiere arts centers in the region.
Thank you for the amazing opportunity to serve the community for the last decade. I look forward to following the BCA’s next chapter.
Peace,
Kristyne Gilbert
