It has been one of the great pleasures of my life to write about theatre in this community since 2007. At the instigation of J. Barrett Cooper I submitted my first review to Ann Waterman Theatre Louisville, and under her mentorship began this journey.
The exact history of how Arts-Louisville.com came into being is overly complicated, but I am grateful to Scott Dowd, Jeff and Kay Tull, for their part in its development.
Over time, I have endeavored to raise funds to make that venture into a means to pay the writers (including myself) for their efforts, and I am sorry that I failed to accomplish that goal. Outside of a brief period in a for-profit model when the Audience Group compensated us (how long ago was it?) we have not been paid for our endeavors. All of the words offered on Arts-Louisville since 2011 have been given to you on a volunteer basis. I greatly appreciate the various individuals who have contributed their voices.
The truth is, I no longer have the capacity. As Arts-Louisville developed, so did my role at Louisville Visual Art. Over 19 years of working there, my position has gone from a drastically underpaid “foot soldier for the cause” to a much more meaningful identity as curator and “senior advisor”. When I returned to my hometown in 2005, I was fortunate to find a home with Louisville Visual Art again (I did 1986-87 under John Begley) and I take great pride in working there.
My retirement accounts insist that I work many more years before calling it quits, and I must focus my energies on the cause that is my livelihood: Louisville Visual Art. I cannot afford to divide my energies, and the bills must continue to be paid.
So it’s over. I guess I don’t have it in me anymore. The final review was for The Tempest from Kentucky Shakespeare on July 6. No new material will be written or posted on Arts-Louisville.com. The site will be maintained as an archive, but if you ask for coverage, Arts-Louisville will no longer answer the call.
Thank you all for your support!
Keith Waits, Managing Editor
