Johnson Center for the Arts

Chiseled in the cornerstone of history in downtown Troy is the old U.S. Post Office, a historic treasure located a short drive from the Pioneer Museum of Alabama and within a few blocks of Troy's Court Square, City Hall, and the internationally-acclaimed Troy University. Today, the 1920 classical revival-style post office building has been resurrected through the arts. In 2000, empty and on the verge of deteriorating, the elegant building about to reach its 100th birthday, was saved through the efforts of the Pike County Chamber of Commerce and a dedicated group of local citizens who made a commitment to incorporate and purchase the building, thus mounting a massive fundraising campaign to renovate the old Post Office. Hence, the Troy-Pike Cultural Arts Center was born, its goal being to transform the historic structure into a dynamic cultural arts center serving Troy, Pike County and the entire River Heritage region of Alabama. With a mission toward providing Cultural Enrichment of the Lives of all Citizens Through Exposure to the Arts, the project received a tremendous financial boost in 2005 through the generosity of Troy natives, Dr. and Mrs. Manley Johnson, who named the facility The Holman and Ethel Johnson Center for the Arts for his parents. Officially opened to the public in 2008, the Center boasts seven galleries, including the two-story, 1400 sq. ft. Main Gallery, in an environmentally controlled atmosphere where local students, residents and visitors can experience high-quality exhibitions from around the world and exposure to various components of the arts. Central to the center's permanent collection is the works of local artists, including Jean Lake whose memory is honored during Troyfest each April. A valuable arm of Troy's Cultural Arts Center Complex is the Cultural Arts Studio. Founded and located in a renovated warehouse directly across the street from the arts center, near the City of Troy Tourism office, the old warehouse-turned studio was refitted with additional storage, additional electrical outlets to accommodate theater lighting/sound, as well as heating and air conditioning, thus fulfilling a niche in the community as an arts facility. It serves as an added venue for hosting a variety of visual arts exhibitions, and musical and educational events throughout the year. It is also a rental facility for those wishing to host special events.