History

The Northern Kentucky Heritage League was formed in 1967, by three friends: Ben Baker, George Dreyer, and Luella LeVee, all telephone employees, who met to discuss the beginning of a fine arts association for Northern Kentucky. Another purpose was to support the grass roots effort to establish a gallery for the exhibition of the works of famed Covington artist, Frank Duveneck. Originally, the organization was called the Northern Kentucky Fine Arts League, but he name was later changed because of complaints from Cincinnati’s Fine Arts fund and to be more descriptive of its purpose: to foster all forms of art, music, and architecture that make up our heritage and culture.

In the summer of 1967 the Frank Duveneck Gallery was established at the Covington Library, then housed in the Carnegie Building at Scott and Robbins Streets. The dedication of Northern Kentucky’s first public gallery was a celebration attended by such dignitaries as Senator John Sherman, the Director of National Galleries, then Governor Edward Breathitt, and Duveneck’s son and granddaughter.

The NKHL was appointed to make a complete inventory of the landmarks in Northern Kentucky. This was forwarded to the Kentucky Heritage Commission, which recognized and erected markers at 12 sites (later 18 more were added).

By the end of the first year the League was embroiled in two controversies – the bringing of a floating restaurant to Riverside Drive and an urban renewal project that called for all riverfront structures between the Licking River and Greenup Street to be razed and replaced by hotels, apartments and other commercial uses. Joining with the residents of the area, League members were not successful keeping out the restaurant – as evidenced by the Mike Fink – but did manage to stop the renewal project, and the houses on Riverside Drive and the north side of Second Street were saved. This was a tremendous victory for the fledging organization. The League won the approval of Covington commissioners to reconstruct and beautify George Rogers Clark Park. When the work was finished in the spring of 1969, an art show was planned. This became the first Annual Duveneck Art Show. This tradition continues today…