2018 Annual Guide: Barnstable

Photo by Teagan Anne

A native of Rockport, Indiana, Kuehn studied piano at UCLA, going on to land a job as a sales rep for RCA Records. In 1993 he moved to New York to run RCA’s classical division. At the time of the move, a friend introduced Kuehn and his husband, Alan Trugman, to Cape Cod. They fell in love with the area, Kuehn says, and decided to buy a house here, splitting their time between New York and the Cape. The two made a permanent move here in 2000, as Kuehn began working from home as a consultant for the San Francisco Symphony. During the course of the next 10 years, he also worked in real estate.

Life continues to keep Kuehn on his toes at the Cotuit Center for the Arts. His days are spent meeting with donors, planning events, and overseeing rehearsals and performances late into the night. “Many times I’m at rehearsal and no one knows it—I’ll just be skulking around,” he says. “Once the show opens, I’m there for at least 80 percent of the performances, to welcome people and get the show started.”

Kuehn is also hard at work planning the future of the center’s campus, as they recently bought the gas station and bakery buildings next door. “It was an opportunity that we didn’t think we could afford to miss,” he says. “Imagine how we can improve the curb appeal—we can reimagine our whole campus.”

While no two days are alike for Kuehn, there is one thing he does every day. “I intentionally drive all the way down 6A from Yarmouth Port through Barnstable Village,” he says, “to remind myself of where I live and the beauty of that winding road.”

For Kuehn, it’s been a humbling experience working for the Cotuit Center. “It just blows my mind the quality of the artistic talent that we have here on the Cape,” he says. “I often get to be the last person here, and I’ll walk through the gallery with all the lights on, admiring the visual art we have. I really appreciate the gifts everyone else gives me.”

Haley Cote is the assistant editor of Cape Cod Life Publications.