WKC CELEBRATES ITS 35TH BIRTHDAY!

The West Kortright Centre,  an outstanding arts & community center in East Meredith, New York, has been dedicated to celebrating the arts and life in the northern Catskills since 1975.

A brief history: After being used only four Sundays a year since 1941, the rural Scots-Irish West Kortright Presbyterian Church was closed in 1971. Residents of  two neighboring farms, Helen Sander and Richard Kathmann, began a campaign to save the unused building. In 1975 neighbors (many of whom attended church there as children) and newcomers to the area joined forces in a successful grass roots effort to preserve both the historic structure and its traditional role as a community-gathering place.

Who we are: The West Kortright Centre is primarily known for its performing arts series presented in the 200-seat former church sanctuary. Among the hundreds of composers, writers, musicians, and theater artists who have performed there are John Cage, Meredith Monk, Peter Schickele, Allen Ginsberg, Hayden Carruth, Rail Road Earth, J.D. Crowe, Rhonda Vincent, Robin & Linda Williams, Queen Ida and her Zydeco Band, Jack DeJohnette, Kenny Burrell, Don Byron, Steve Lacy, Teddy Wilson, Leon Redbone, Greg Brown, Leo Kottke, Amos Lee, Odetta, The Roches, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, The Carolina Chocolate Drops, Richie Havens, Mose Allison, Colin Hay, Maria Muldaur, Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, John Hammond, The Holmes Brothers, James Cotton, Junior Wells, and scores of world-class chamber and gospel music ensembles. Performers from distant places and traditions have traveled to perform in the remote venue from as far away as Morocco, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Peru, Jamaica, South Africa, Haiti, Zaire, Cuba, Ireland, Mali, Sweden, Palestine, and Israel.

The Centre also offers youth and adult workshops in acting, costuming, and technical theater, music and dance, visual arts, and writing. Theater programs range from staged plays and readings to the annual Young People’s Theater Arts Workshops and Shakespeare in the Valley productions, now in their 23rd year.

The former Sunday school room (now the Roberts Room Gallery) hosts exhibits by regional artists each season. Community events include its annual Labor Day weekend Farm Fair that is a festival of regional agricultural and craft products, games, traditional arts, and demonstrations of ways to make the most of rural living. Garden tours, star-gazing, screenings of independent films and readings by local writers, forums, community picnics and dances, meet-the-artists receptions, various school and educational events, and use of the building and grounds for weddings, meetings, recitals, and family celebrations are also made available to the public.

If you would like to be sent e-mail reminders of upcoming events at The West Kortright Centre, receive our season brochure in the mail, learn more about program sponsorship, volunteering, or internships please contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or at 607-278-5454. You can become a member for our 35th Anniversary 2010 season. Go to the Get Involved tab on the website.

COME REVEL WITH US THIS WHOLE SEASON!