Ashland, Ky. - The Pendleton Art Center grand opening ceremonies will be today, with the ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4:30 p.m. and the doors opening at 5 p.m.

The Pendleton Art Center, 1537 Winchester Ave., will be the first of its kind in Kentucky, and a sister center to the original in Cincinnati

Jim Verdin, the founder of the Pendleton Art Center, along with city officials, will be present to welcome the community to the new facility.

&uot;This is an exciting day for downtown Ashland,&uot; said Danny Craig, Ashland Main Street director. &uot;This is an anchor to our revitalization plan, and adds to the rich cultural and artistic offerings available in Ashland. A dynamic arts scene draws people downtown and adds to our quality of life.&uot;

Currently, the Pendleton Art Center-Ashland has 20 affiliated artists including painters, potters, a wood crafter and sculptors.

The center has space to house about 60 artists who will rent spaces as a studio to develop their art. About once a month, the center will open to allow art lovers to purchase original works of art and to watch the artists at work.

The sister facility in Cincinnati attracts more than 2,000 visitors to each of its monthly shows.

The Pendleton Art Center opening is part of the monthly First Friday Art Walk in downtown Ashland.

Everyone is encouraged to take part in the grand opening festivities of the Pendleton Art Center and continue their evening by visiting local art galleries, the Ashland Area Art Gallery, the Highlands Museum and Discovery Center, Jesse Stuart Foundation, downtown restaurants and shops.

For more information contact Ashland Main Street at (606) 325-7692 or ashlandmainst@aol.com.