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County culture

An Art fActory in shelbyville
H story by John i. cArney

w hat was once

factory
for
a
making
blue
jeans is now a community
resource serving all of
bedford county with art,
entertainment and culture.
fly manufacturing
company, founded in the
1920s, had a factory on
south main street, just a
block away from the public
square. by the early 1990s,
the building was vacant
and owned by the city of
shelbyville.
the city donated the
building to bedford county
Arts council, which received
a grant from the tennessee
Arts commission and a
substantial donation from Officers O’Hara (Chad Shafer) and Klein (Ben Woods) question Jonathan Brewster (Colton
and Dorothy fly smith. other Hargrove) in the 2018 production of Arsenic and Old Lace. Photo by Terence Corrigan.
fundraisers and campaigns
were held, from golf tournaments to window sponsorships, celebrates local history and culture with a variety of exhibits,
and the building began its transformation into the fly Arts from paintings to military uniforms to old photos and
center. documents.
today, “the fly” is home to year-round activity. the building is managed entirely by volunteers, said Arts
• The Fly Community Theatre presents plays throughout council president sue thelen, who also serves as theater
the year, including a youth theatre production in the summer manager and rental coordinator for the fly. thelen said in
and a popular dinner theatre production around the holidays. february that she was already booking rentals for the facility
last year, in conjunction with a new york-based collaborative into 2019.
the 9th floor, the fly hosted its first-ever theater festival, with the building is still being developed and remodeled. the
seminars and workshops covering multiple aspects of dramatic full kitchen was recently repainted and re-tiled, and the central
production. the inaugural event was well-received, although corridor and dock areas were also retiled. the entire building
attendance numbers were affected by a scheduling conflict was deep-cleaned during a rare slow period in january.
which the Arts council hopes to avoid in the future. plans are the Arts council holds fund-raisers throughout the
already in the works for a return event. year. In july 2018, an interactive dinner theatre event called
• The McGrew Event Hall, with a capacity of 300 people, “murderous crossing” will be held, not in the theatre but in
hosts events such as the annual triple c chili, chicken and the mcgrew event hall. the fund-raiser “April foolishness” is
chocolate competition in february; the youth Art show in an annual talent show started in 2017.
April; the postcard and paper memorabilia show in April; thelen said the Arts council is also working on grants to
frequent dances, including a new year’s eve party; and the fund more educational programs. she said the arts help teach
festival of trees each holiday season. the event hall is also children discipline and socialization.
available for rental, and sees constant use by rental clients for for more information about bedford county Arts council
parties, wedding receptions, rehearsal dinners and so on. or the fly Arts center, go to flyartscenter.com or call 931-684-
• The Bedford County History Museum and Art Gallery 8359. H

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