Arts and Entertainment
Batesville Area Arts Council
The Batesville Area Arts Council is a non-profit 501(3)(c) organization dedicated to providing access to the arts for our community.
BAAC works to increase awareness of the arts in the Batesville and surrounding areas through educational programs, art exhibitions, workshops, and community art projects.
The BAAC not only features rotating exhibits of the region's best artists, but also offers classes and workshops throughout the year for all skill levels.
Independence County Library
The Independence County Library is located at 267 East Main Street, in the historic Barnett Building. In 1933 the P.T.A. and local women's clubs opened a public library in the Batesville High School for adults and children. In 1948 the Independence County Library was formally established. After 41 years in the Jesse B. Carpenter Building, the library moved to its current location in 2018.
The Independence County Library provides programs and services to the residents of Independence County. It is governed by a five-member library board.
Melba Theater
In 2015 the Melba was purchased by a group of dedicated and patient investors who were passionate about Batesville and its history and wanted to see the theater properly restored as the historic treasure it is.
It now stands as the anchor of the downtown business district, a wildly popular family theater, a community-focused business that constantly gives back, and proof that Main Street Batesville is a comeback story.