“GINNY” MILLERDies at 60

Bowling Green today is mourning the loss of one of its strongest patrons of the arts, Virginia Barton “Ginny” Miller, who died Monday at the age of 60.

Miller, the executive director of VSA arts of Kentucky since 1991, is remembered for her tireless volunteer service, and for giving physically challenged kids the opportunity to shine through art.

“There are so many young people that would not have had the experiences they were able to have had she not had the passion she did for VSA,” said Karen Hume, executive director of Capitol Arts Alliance. Miller for many years was program director at the Capitol Arts Center, where her death was noted on the theater marquee Tuesday.

“Ginny loved every person involved with VSA and was a tireless advocate for lost kids. She will be greatly missed,” Hume added.

VSA is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting arts for children with disabilities. Miller, who served on the national board of VSA, was credited this week by the board and staff of VSA Kentucky with significant growth under her leadership.

“It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to our dear friend and VSA arts of Kentucky’s Executive Director, Ginny Miller. Ginny served as Executive Director since 1991, and the organization has seen much growth under her tenure. VSA arts of Kentucky was her passion, and she devoted these years to finding ways for the organization to flourish,” the organization stated in a posting to its Web site.

“This is a terrible loss for the VSA program,” said Cheryl Kirby-Stokes, who worked with Miller in her capacity as the service-learning coordinator at the Western Kentucky University ALIVE Center for Community Partnerships. “She was their greatest advocate. I don’t know of anyone else who had such a passion for disabled youth and art. She traveled constantly to promote VSA, but more than that, she was someone that had enormous energy and conviction for the arts in Bowling Green. Her spirit and passion for the arts is a sincere loss to the community, and I will miss hearing the excitement in her voice about a new project or production.”

“Her interests and work went beyond her own art group,” said Orchestra Kentucky maestro Jeff Reed, who worked closely with Miller in organizing Arts of Southern Kentucky, an informal group of art patrons and organizations in the community. “She was concerned with the cultural well-being of the community as a whole and she was a champion of physically challenged artists. She dedicated much of her life to that cause, which is very admirable. It shows the sort of kind, gentle person she was.”

Miller was also remembered for her performance as Peter Pan with the Fountain Square Players and for her support of the Bowling Green International Festival.

Miller, a native of Glasgow, was born June 21, 1949. She was a member of First Baptist Church, the church choir and was a Sunday school teacher. She was a member of several committees at First Baptist Church. She graduated from Western Kentucky University and was the first president of the WKU Dance Club, which is now the Dance Department at Western. She was instrumental in establishing the Preparatory Arts Program for children at WKU. She served on the National Board of VSA arts. She was a daughter of the late Clay Barton, who was Kentucky’s first Eagle Scout, and Evelyn Blanks Barton.

Survivors include her husband, Dr. Fred Clayton Miller; a son, Will Miller, of Atlanta; a daughter, Claci Miller Juday and her husband, Jeff, of Atlanta; and a granddaughter, Neve Miller Juday, of Atlanta.