Columnist Leah Keiter explains why you should visit the Dairy Barn Arts Center before you leave Athens.
I decided to write this column for The Post in an effort to share my lifelong love of Athens with the university community. Currently, I live in North Carolina with my parents, but my (and their) roots start in Athens — we all three lived there for most of our lives. As I shifted from being an (honorary) townie to a university student when I came back to OU, I noticed places and things that were my most favorite and cherished about Athens as a whole were going completely undetected by students trapped in the campus bubble.
I hope this column will help some adventurous students pop that bubble and learn more about Athens, its history and its larger community. I’ll be talking about favorite places, things, foods, etc. that may be a little bit outside of the campus scope but are definitely worth checking out before leaving Athens.
It's only natural that my first place of interest will be pretty personal to me — I took camps and classes throughout my childhood years here that encouraged me to think creatively, be myself and broaden my horizons. The Dairy Barn Arts Center has been in use in Athens since the early 1900s, first as a dairy farm, then as a source of therapeutic labor for patients of the Athens State Hospital and finally, nine days before its scheduled demolition, the Hocking Valley Arts Council purchased the barn for its current use as both a preserved area of interest to the Athens community and a non-profit arts center.
The Dairy Barn’s self-proclaimed mission is "to offer exhibitions, events, and educational programs that nurture and promote area artists and artisans; develop art appreciation among all ages; provide the community access to fine arts and crafts from outside the region; and draw attention and visitors to Southeast Ohio.” Not only does it provide students an area where they can explore different art exhibitions, but the Barn’s focus on local art and artists also creates a sense of the community in Athens unlike any other. Currently, one of the touring exhibitions at the Dairy Barn is an “exhibition of contemporary artwork” called OH+5 that promotes artists from Ohio and its five bordering states with an emphasis on exploring new types of media and techniques used in modern art. OH+5 will be running until March 12.
In addition to featuring a full 12-month schedule of exhibitions worth the attention of anyone who appreciates Athens and art, the Dairy Barn itself is a really cool place to visit and walk around in. The building has been in use since the early 1900s, but the area where the barn is built was inhabited by Native Americans coming to the Hocking Valley more than 2,500 years ago, making it an iconic spot in Athens history.
The Dairy Barn also offers a unique off-campus learning opportunity through the classes it offers. Its lineup includes ceramic classes, stained glass tutorials and even a month long class titled “iPhoneography: The Art of Smart Phone Photo.” The Barn’s gift shop is also stocked with local pottery and designs that make truly authentic Athens souvenirs and gifts.
You’ll find the Dairy Barn nestled back a little ways off of Richland Avenue, past the Richland Avenue Park at 8000 Dairy Lane. Admission for most exhibitions is $4 for students, and winter hours are 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. daily (on Thursdays, it is open until 7 p.m., unless the gallery is closed). Hopefully this column will inspire you to visit some places, like the Dairy Barn, that tell the amazing story of the Athens community that students sometimes miss!
Leah Keiter is a junior studying journalism. Have you ever been to the Dairy Barn? Email her at lk969912@ohio.edu.
