Since 2010, we have led the effort to bring world-class
​performing arts to Kimberton. 

​HISTORY AND MISSION OF THE KAA

​The Kimberton Arts Alliance was formed to take over the burgeoning arts effort started by the Kimberton Village Business Association. KVBA started the arts effort 5 years ago (with Theatre in the Park), with a view to promoting cultural tourism as one part of its mission to promote the interests of its member businesses through the sustainable revitalization of Kimberton Village. KVBA’s other current projects include the Kimberton Circle, which is phase 1 of the Walkable Kimberton Streetscapes Project and includes new infrastructure designed to calm traffic and provide additional specialty retail space; the implementation of the Kimberton Area Heritage Action Plan, which it partnered in drafting and, participating in revising the Kimberton zoning district regulations including the recently passed Kimberton Village Core Overlay District and the pending revisions of the Kimberton Retail and Transitional Use District Articles.  

​​By contrast to KVBA, KA2 was formed with an exclusive arts focus-to promote the performing and visual arts, to host professional and community performing and visual arts events, to develop performing and visual arts venues and to provide arts education.  Whereas KVBA is a business league, reliant on dues and advertisements, KA2 was formed as a 501(c)(3) charity and is also able to accept donations and solicit grants. KA2 currently hosts locally approximately 15 arts events per year including: The Kimberton Summer Arts Series encompassing Theatre in the Park, the Kimberton Village Chamber Music Series (5-6 chamber and vocal music concerts) and the Kimberton Community Block Party (which KA2 co-promotes with Kimberton Whole Foods); the Le Jazz Hot Super Club Vocal Jazz Series; and Home for the Holidays, a vocal concert featuring locally raised or resident performers. KA2 also leads excursion groups to events outside of the immediate area including to Theatre Horizon in Norristown and is starting to host events remotely including Le Jazz Hot at Theatre Horizon. KA2’s performance and exhibit mantra is “world-class art at an affordable price”. Tickets are typically sold at a fraction of New York or even Philadelphia prices for the same performers. KA2 also co-promotes for other area not-for profits and for other arts organizations appearing locally including the Pennsylvania Philharmonic. KA2 intends over the next several years to broaden its performance and exhibit range to include other musical genres and other performing, visual and material culture arts.
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"A Birds Eye View" - John Pierce (1900-1970)

Kimberton Performing & Visual Arts Center Concept Plan

​Concurrently, KA2 is in the planning phase for the development of the Kimberton Performing and Visual Arts Center, to be housed in the Chrisman’s Mill Complex (now home to the Kimberton Post Office), In addition to the Mill, which will be utilized for gallery and office space, the complex includes a barn of 1793 vintage, which will be redeveloped and adaptively reused as an iconic theatre and performance studio spaces, a small barn which will be utilized as a visual arts/material culture studio and a Mill House which will be utilized primarily as an educational space.  KA2 also intends to assist East Pikeland Township with the development of the planned Kimberton Park Amphitheater, both programmatically and by funding accessory equipment and structures including sound equipment and lighting. KA2 intends to utilize the Amphitheater to host and produce an array of summer festivals and exhibits expanding both by genre and in scope over a period of years and also to assist the Township with independent arts bookings. While East Pikeland Township is in the process of designing and applying for grant funding for the Amphitheater structure, KA2 is concurrently researching the design of the sound and lighting systems and will apply for funding grants for those systems.

​KA2 intends to offer arts education in the planned Kimberton Performing and Visual Arts Center across a wide array of the performing, visual and material culture arts to children, adults, seniors and challenged populations. Special emphasis will be made on accommodating the latter two groups as appropriate to the area concentration of special schools and intentional communities including the Camphill Organizations and the area concentration of senior housing and the growing need to accommodate the aging population demographic.