Officials Want Your Help in Saving Covington's Nordheim Gallery

In 1990 the Nordheim Gallery was established by Covington Independent Public Schools as a means to enrich the fine arts among students and create a community outreach tool at Holmes High School.

Since 1990, the gallery has featured the work of hundreds of regional and visiting artists according to Holmes High School officials.  Those artists include professional, amateur, and emerging artists who work in a variety of fine arts craft and media.

The gallery is also used by Holmes students and teachers for instructional purposes including lectures, discussions and hands-on activities.  The Nordheim Gallery has also provided a much needed outlet for students looking to display their work to an authentic and captive audience.  Additionally the gallery has hosted dozens of poetry readings and drawn an average of 2,000 visitors annually over the past seven years.

While the numbers and impact appear to be robust, the funding for the Nordheim Gallery is not.  Due to recent budget cuts across the school district, the Nordheim Gallery needs to raise $20,000 to stay operational for the 2009-2010 school year.

Following a fund raising event last week, Nordheim Gallery supporters have raised just over $6,000 of the $20,000 needed to save the gallery.  The event featured a silent auction and an opportunity for supporters to gather and promote their cause, but with nearly $14,000 more needed a lot of work must still be done.

Those who are interested in making a donation that will help save this Covington asset can make checks payable to 'Save the Nordheim Gallery' and mail them to Holmes High School at 25th and Madison Avenue in Covington, Kentucky 41014 (attention: Save the Nordheim).  Supporters can also make secure online donations through First Giving where contributions will be directly sent to the Covington Education Foundation's "Save the Nordheim" account at the Covington Board of Education.

Writer: Randy A. Simes
Photography by Scott Beseler
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