FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Kentucky Arts Council has received funding from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in partnership with the Citizens' Institute on Rural Design™ (CIRD) to conduct workshops in the eastern region of the Commonwealth that will provide arts-related tools, resources and ideas that can initiate economic growth and development.
The arts council began work to introduce the concept of art as an economic driver at a December conference in Pikeville the day after the Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR) Summit. This funding will benefit the 54-county Appalachian region of the state by providing follow-up information for communities and individuals through two public workshops.
"The NEA and CIRD recognize the arts can play a significant role in vital community and economic development," said Lori Meadows, arts council executive director. "The arts council is excited to continue the work we started last year in Pikeville to help people in the region utilize their existing talents and resources."
The public workshops will be:
Additionally, the arts council will convene organizations and communities already engaged in arts and cultural projects as a way for participants to share ideas, challenges and successes, followed by a competitive application process for communities to apply for related project funding. The third event, which will be by invitation, will be in Cumberland.
Registration and agenda information will be available on the arts council's website in the coming weeks at artscouncil.ky.gov.
The National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. The NEA extends its work through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies and the philanthropic sector.
The Citizens' Institute on Rural Design™ is a National Endowment for the Arts leadership initiative in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Project for Public Spaces, Inc., along with the Orton Family Foundation and the CommunityMatters® Partnership.
The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, creates opportunities for Kentuckians to value, participate in and benefit from the arts. Kentucky Arts Council funding is provided by the Kentucky General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts.
