The Center

Building

The Wyoming Fine Arts Center is located in the historic downtown district of Wyoming, Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati. The building is a beautifully restored 1850s home that once served as the Wyoming Masonic Lodge for much of the 20th century.

In the 1990s, local businessman Paul Bartel purchased the lodge with a vision of creating a community arts center. After renovations to the building were completed in 1995, he opened as the Cincinnati String Academy (CSA).  In 2000, CSA was renamed to the Wyoming Fine Arts Center when a full repertoire of fine arts programming was added. 

Since our founding, The Center has become one of the Cincinnati region’s premier community art centers.  Our Mission is to educate, create experiences, and nurture appreciation in music and other creative and performing arts across all ages, races, abilities and backgrounds. We do this through excellence in teaching, creative programming, interdisciplinary experiences, community partnerships and engagement.

We offer more programs to more students than virtually any other group in the Greater Cincinnati area. We believe our personal approach to each student’s success and the quality of our faculty, sets us apart.

Our Founder - Paul Bartel

Paul Bartel (b. 1952 - d. July 27, 2019) was a violinist, music educator, owner of the Baroque Violin Shop and founder of the Wyoming Fine Arts Center.

A 1972 graduate of Miami University and former music teacher, Paul established his Baroque Violin Shop with the vision of supporting school music programs by providing high-quality instruments at low cost.

In 1995, Paul purchased the 1850s-era former Masonic Lodge from the city of Wyoming, aiming to transform it into a community arts center. He conducted a massive renovation at his own expense for what would become the nonprofit Wyoming Fine Arts Center.

Paul loved playing his rare 1680 Stradivarius and is remembered by Cincinnati’s music community as being generous, humble and wanting to help young people.

In 1997, the Paul and Jan Bartel Scholarship Fund  was established to help underwrite music lessons for under served students. 

Bartel loved playing his rare, 1680 Stradivarius for schoolchildren. He was known for his quiet generosity. Memorials are designated to the Paul and Jan Bartel Scholarship Fund.

Paul

Board Members

Meetings 3rd Thursday, 7:00PM
  • Bobbie McTurner
    Advisory Board
  • Rachael Hussong, CPA
    Treasurer
  • Elise Edelman
  • Jason Bartel
  • Wendy Dorn
  • Kyle Michael
    Board Secretary
  • Caroline Hyatt
    Board Vice President
  • Brad King, JD
    Board President
  • Amanda Baker
 

Committees

 

Development Committee

  • Elise Edelman
  • Bobbie McTurner

Events Committee

Executive Committee

  • Elise Edelman
  • Bobbie McTurner

Facilities Committee

Meetings: 2nd Thursday, 4:40pm

Finance Committee

Meetings: 2nd Tuesday, 1:00PM

  • Rachael Hussong, CPA
  • Bobbie McTurner

Marketing/Communications Committee

Meetings: 2nd Tuesday, 7:45PM

Program Committee

Meetings: 2nd Wednesday, 3:30PM

  • Bobbie McTurner

Scholarship Committee

  • Bobbie McTurner