Correction: The print edition of this article in the January 7 paper incorrectly listed that Mr. Richardson was deceased. That information is not correct. This was an error by the Advocate-Messenger staff and not the Arts Council. The Advocate-Messenger deeply regrets this egregious error and will work in the future to ensure that it never happens again.

The Arts Commission of Danville/Boyle County will honor Bruce Richardson as the 2024 Arts Citizen of the Year at the Danville City Commission meeting held on January 13, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. The ceremony will be held in City Hall with a public reception afterward to celebrate Richardson’s extraordinary contributions to the arts community.

Founded in 2004 the Arts Commission awards the Arts Citizen of the Year to individuals and organizations who have made an impact on their community’s local arts scene. Past honorees have included musicians, visual artists, playwrights, and community leaders, along with special honors for organizations such as the Farmers Market and the Norton Center.

Richardson’s work as a musician, teacher, writer, and community leader makes him an appropriate addition to this esteemed roster.

A respected leader in the world of music and his community

Bruce Richardson came to Danville from Versailles in 1984. From there he was Minister of Music at Lexington Avenue Baptist Church until 1995, where he built a full choral program, supervised the installation of a 32-rank Moller Pipe Organ, and produced major musical works, including Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors and Fauré’s Requiem.

In 1990, he founded and directed the Danville Children’s Choirs, which organized 50 gifted singers from five Central Kentucky counties. The choir sang at such prominent venues as Carnegie Hall, the University of Chicago, Disney World, and the St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans.

Richardson has also championed the arts through leadership positions in local organizations. He served on the Arts Commission’s first board of directors and later on the board of the Art Center of the Bluegrass. He has been president of the Brass Band Festival and the Perryville Preservation Association and served two terms as mayor of Perryville.

A polymath: Artist, writer and more

Besides music, Richardson is an artist and author. His photographic series Looking Deeply into Tea has been exhibited at various locations, including the Art Center of the Bluegrass and the Lexington Public Library. He has also written and photographed a dozen books, alongside countless magazine articles, solidifying his impact on the arts.

Richardson is also featured in the documentary TEA: The Drink That Changed the World, available to stream on Amazon Prime.

Looking ahead

Richardson continues to be active in the arts community, tutoring his grandsons in violin studies and conducting art history tours. In 2023, he co-led a Harvard tour to Boston for the Art Center of the Bluegrass, and he has co-taught Japanese art history classes at Centre College.

The Arts Commission invites the public to attend the Jan. 13 ceremony and reception honoring Richardson and his contributions to Danville at Danville City Hall. His lifelong commitment to the arts has helped shape the cultural landscape of the community and inspired countless generations to come.

Arts Citizens of the Year from 2004

2004 Wilma Brown

2005 Jennifer Brummett

2006 Charlotte Henson

2007 Tom Baeker

2008 George Foreman

2009 Karen Logue

2010 George and Rodi Jackson

2011 Barbara Hall

2012 Barbara Reynierson

2013 Steve Meadows

2014 Joan Stansbury

2015 Jane Dewey

2016 Barbara Lockhart and Stuart Powell

2017 Michael Hughes

2018 Vince DiMartino

2019 Robby Henson and Heather Henson

2020 Liz Orndorff

2021 Gaynella McGuire and David Walden

2022 Madelyn Worley

2022 Special Recognition to Farmer’s Market

2023 Steve Hoffman

2023 Special Recognition to the Norton Center

 

Bruce Richardson (Photo submitted)