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[Audio] Meet Brian Heller, New Director of WKCTC's Clemens Fine Arts Center

Clemens Fine Arts Center, Twitter

Brian Heller is the new director of the Clemens Fine Arts Center at WKCTC in Paducah. Moving from Wisconsin where he was the executive director of a community non-profit performing arts center, Heller says it's a welcome change moving to a higher education institution. He speaks with Tracy Ross on Sounds Good about his time so far in western Kentucky and how he first learned of Paducah. 

Brian Heller says he first learned of Paducah reading about the LowerTown Arts District project and its transformation in the community.

This Saturday and Sunday, the Paducah School of Art and Design hold a holiday art sale at the Clemens Fine Arts Center gallery. Heller says it's a good opportunity to get something different and special for someone, work produced mostly by students.

All of the performances through April were booked by now retired director Gail Robinson Butler and Heller says he'll soon begin work on booking next seasons' shows. The next show is February 5 with Wynonna and the Big Noise (sold out), followed by the February 19 performance by Patty Griffin with Sara Watkins and Anais Mitchell, then April 26 with Barrage 8, a group featuring high energy violins and fiddles.

See the Clemens Fine Arts Center schedule

Clemens Fine Arts Center on Facebook

Tracy started working for WKMS in 1994 while attending Murray State University. After receiving his Bachelors and Masters degrees from MSU he was hired as Operations/Web/Sports Director in 2000. Tracy hosted All Things Considered from 2004-2012 and has served as host/producer of several music shows including Cafe Jazz, and Jazz Horizons. In 2001, Tracy revived Beyond The Edge, a legacy alternative music program that had been on hiatus for several years. Tracy was named Program Director in 2011 and created the midday music and conversation program Sounds Good in 2012 which he hosts Monday-Thursday. Tracy lives in Murray with his wife, son and daughter.
Matt Markgraf joined the WKMS team as a student in January 2007. He's served in a variety of roles over the years: as News Director March 2016-September 2019 and previously as the New Media & Promotions Coordinator beginning in 2011. Prior to that, he was a graduate and undergraduate assistant. He is currently the host of the international music show Imported on Sunday nights at 10 p.m.
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