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After more than 50 years of supporting the arts in Bucks County, the Arts & Cultural Council of Bucks County is looking ahead. The organization has a new name, a new look and a renewed focus on connecting artists and audiences across the county. It is now BucksArts.
The change includes a new logo designed by thINK communications and a redesigned website at bucksarts.org. The changes are part of the organization’s strategic planning efforts to build on its work in strengthening Bucks County’s creative community.
“We want to create new pathways to bring the arts to our community, elevate Bucks County creatives, and support our growing community of artists, writers and performers,” said Clifford Eberly, BucksArts Board President and Senior Manager of Galleries and Exhibitions at Bucks County Community College.
While the name is new, the organization’s roots run deep.
Established in 1974 as the Bucks County Council on the Arts, the Council began by hosting exhibitions and programs and building an archive representing more than 1,500 Bucks County artists.
In 1985, the Council joined with the Bucks County Commissioners on a project to turn the former Bucks County Prison in Doylestown into an art museum. That collaboration helped pave the way for the James A. Michener Art Museum, which opened its doors in 1988.
In the early 2000s, Katharine Steele Renninger led a steering committee that re-established the organization as a countywide arts and cultural council, bringing together community leaders and building partnerships across Bucks County.
Today, BucksArts is carrying that history forward with programs that put local artists, writers and performers in front of new audiences.
Its upcoming Small Works Exhibition will feature work by BucksArts members from Aug. 26 through Nov. 16, 2026, at the ArtWalk at Penn Medicine Doylestown Hospital.
The organization also formed a partnership with Freeman Hall at Salem on East Court Street in 2021. The Doylestown space is now home to BucksArts’ First Thursday Literary Salons, bringing writers, artists, performers and community members together throughout the year.
The next salon, scheduled for Sept. 3 from 7 to 8:30 p.m., will honor the life and legacy of former Bucks County Poet Laureate Julie Cooper-Fratrik. The salon is free and open to the public.
Then, on Sept. 12 and 13, BucksArts will make its public debut at the Doylestown Arts Festival, where visitors can see the new name and look and artwork by BucksArts members.
To learn more about BucksArts, upcoming programs and membership, visit bucksarts.org.