Robert Barker

Maureen Barker

Florence Thorne

Our History

The seeds for the Artcroft concept grew from the discussions of Robert and Maureen Barker and Florence Thorne as to the ideal use of 400 spectacular acres in rural central Kentucky. The three friends were guided by an appreciation of the unified continuum of work, craft and art supporting community life and the larger culture. With their strong interests in the arts and humanities, developing a retreat where individuals could do creative work in a rural, agrarian setting held great appeal.

The friends realized that there were already several precedents for this concept; the McDowell Colony in New Hampshire is a fine example. Using these ideas as the foundation for developing an artist’s retreat, Robert, Maureen and Florence generated a long-term plan in 1999 and began implementation. Artcroft is striving to manifest those ideas, with enthusiasm and excitement, benefiting from the renewal that comes from living close to the land.

U.K. Architectural Studio, Professor Greg Lewin donated for installation at Artcroft.