annual report for 2011 - Kentucky Arts Council

Kentucky Arts Council
2011 Annual Report

Dear Governor Beshear and Fellow Kentuckians:
On behalf of the Kentucky Arts Council I am pleased to present to you our
FY2011 annual report. As the state arts agency, the arts council’s mission
is to provide opportunities for the people of Kentucky to value, participate in
and benefit from the arts. This report illustrates the impact of public dollars
on our efforts to ensure that all Kentuckians have access to the arts.
The core programs of the Kentucky Arts Council provide operating funds
and resources to the organizations sustaining the Commonwealth’s arts infrastructure;
recognize, support and promote artists and artisan businesses;
develop creative thinking and innovation skills by integrating arts in education;
and preserve our unique cultural heritage. In the “Our Stories” section
of this annual report, you can read first-hand reports of how valuable these
programs are for Kentucky’s artists and Kentucky’s communities.
In addition to supporting these core programs, the arts council strives to
present the arts to Kentucky and Kentucky’s arts to the world. Various facets
of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games showcased Kentucky’s arts
and culture to thousands of visitors to our state. By hosting the National
Symphony Orchestra’s 2011 American Residency, the Kentucky Arts Council
was able to offer seven full concerts and over 130 workshops, chamber concerts,
master classes and community activities to the citizens of Kentucky at
no cost. The new Kentucky Cultural Districts Certification Program will help
communities build vibrant local arts scenes to attract tourism dollars, create
a distinctive brand identity, draw businesses and individuals to the community,
and strengthen community development and civic pride.
On the cover:
“Oak Tree Melody” by Craig Kaviar
at the Brown-Forman global headquarters
in Louisville, Ky. Forged iron and bronze,
with glass by Jonathan Stokes.
The National Governor’s Association stated that “states have an opportunity
to both improve livability and boost state and local economies by investing in
the arts and culture.” The funding support that the arts council receives from
the Kentucky General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts is
critical to our ability to meet our statutory purpose: to develop and promote a
broadly conceived state policy of support for the arts in Kentucky.
The Kentucky Arts Council looks forward to continuing to provide opportunities
to make the arts accessible to the people of Kentucky and strengthen the
Commonwealth through the arts.
Lori Meadows
Executive Director
Kentucky Arts Council
Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet

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Contents
About the Arts Council 5
Our Mission 6
Our Ends Statements 6
About Us 6
Arts Council Board 7
Arts Council Staff 7
About Our Partners 8
Our Vision 9
Kentuckians value the role of the arts in society. 10
Artists live and work in a supportive environment. 12
Statewide delivery of programs and services is provided. 14
Public policy supports the arts in Kentucky. 16
Lifelong education in the arts is encouraged. 18
Our Stories 21
Architectural Artists Directory 22
Arts Education Roster 24
Kentucky Crafted Program 26
Performing Arts Directory 28
Al Smith Individual Artist Fellowship Award 30
Folk and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Grant 32
Teacher Initiated Program Grant 34
Kentucky Arts Partnership Grant 36
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Promoting the Arts 39
Made To Be Played: Traditional Art of Kentucky Luthiers 40
Buyers Market of American Craft 41
Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 42
Governor’s Awards in the Arts 48
Kentucky On Stage 48
Give a Gift from Kentucky 50
Kentucky Visions at the Capitol 50
National Symphony Orchestra Kentucky Residency 52
Arts Day in Kentucky 53
Poetry Out Loud 54
Kentucky Crafted: The Market 56
Kentucky Writers’ Day and Poet Laureate Induction 58
Governor’s Derby Celebration 58
Al Smith Fellowship Viewing 62
Cultural Districts Certification Announcement 62
Grants and Awards 65
Funding 75
FY2011 Funding 76
Funding History 77
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About the
Arts Council
5

Our Mission
To create opportunities for the people of Kentucky to value, participate in and
benefit from the arts.
Our Ends Statements
• Kentuckians value the role of the arts in society.
• Artists live and work in a supportive environment.
• Statewide delivery of arts programs and services is provided.
• Public policy supports the arts in Kentucky.
• Lifelong education in the arts is encouraged.
About Us
The Kentucky Arts Council is the state government agency responsible for
developing and promoting support for the arts in Kentucky. As the state’s
arts agency, we create opportunities for people to find value in the arts, participate
in the arts and benefit from the arts through programs, grants and
services.
The Kentucky Arts Council also works in partnership with the Kentucky Historical
Society to administer and support the Kentucky Folklife Program.
Strategically placed in the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, the Kentucky
Arts Council is publicly funded by the Kentucky General Assembly and the
National Endowment for the Arts, an independent agency of the federal government.
The Kentucky Arts Council invests these resources statewide to
those who create, perform, teach and present the arts.
The Kentucky Arts Council is governed by a citizen board of 16 volunteer
directors appointed by the Governor to serve four-year, rotating terms. The
Kentucky Arts Council operates with a staff of 19 full-time employees and
three employees in the Kentucky Folklife Program.
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Arts Council Board
June 30, 2011
Todd P. Lowe, Chair
Louisville
Everett D. McCorvey, Vice Chair
Lexington
Sonya G. Baker
Murray
Carla Bass Miller
Louisville
Wilma Brown
Danville
Zev Buffman
Owensboro
Paul Fourshee
Cadiz
John S. Hockensmith
Georgetown
Ronald Edward Johnson
Ft. Mitchell
Henrietta Kemp
Hopkinsville
Nicholas S. Kouns
Lexington
Josephine Richardson
Whitesburg
Andrea Rudloff
Bowling Green
Randall C. Vaughn
Lexington
Roanne Victor
Louisville
Jayne Moore Waldrop
Lexington
Arts Council Staff
June 30, 2011
Lori Meadows, Executive Director
Mike Brooks, Grants Manager
Mark Brown, Folklife Specialist
Chris Cathers, Program Branch Manager
Deborah Catlett, Database Manager
Heidi Caudill, Administrative Associate
Tamara Coffey, Individual Artist Program Director
Sandy Etherington, Fiscal Officer
Bob Gates, Folklife Program Director
Suzanne Gray, Executive Staff Advisor
Beau Haddock, Media and Public Relations Director
Vallorie Henderson, Business Development Director
Craig Kittner, Arts Marketing Director
Ed Lawrence, Communications Director
Sandie Lawrence, Information Technology Manager
Alisha Martin, Folklife Specialist
Melissa Nesselrode, Executive Secretary
Charla Reed, Partnerships and Initiatives Director
Sarah Schmitt, Arts Access Director
Sallie Showalter, Communications and Technology
Branch Manager
Dan Strauss, Senior Program Analyst
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About Our Partners
The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting
excellence in the arts, both new and established, bringing the arts to all
Americans and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress
in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the
National Endowment for the Arts is the nation’s largest annual funder of the
arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities and
military bases. http://www.arts.gov/
The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies is the membership organization that
unites, represents and serves the nation’s 56 state and jurisdictional arts
agencies, to support excellence in and access to the arts. The organization
strengthens state arts agencies by representing their individual and collective
interests, empowering their work through knowledge and advancing the arts
as an essential public benefit. http://www.nasaa-arts.org
Americans for the Arts is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing
the arts in America. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing
and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American
to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. From offices in Washington,
D.C., and New York City, it serves more than 150,000 organizational and
individual members and stakeholders. http://www.artsusa.org
South Arts is a nonprofit regional arts organization that has been making a positive
difference in the arts throughout the South since 1975. South Arts creates
partnerships and collaborations; assists in the professional development
of artists, arts organizations and arts professionals; presents, promotes and
produces southern arts and cultural programming; and advocates for the
arts and arts education. The organization works in partnership with the state
arts agencies of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi,
North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. http://www.southarts.org
Grantmakers in the Arts provides leadership and service to advance the use of
philanthropic resources on behalf of arts and culture. It is the only national
association of private and public funders making grants to artists and arts
organizations in America. The association’s strength is in its diversity of
members: private, family, community and corporate foundations; national,
state and local governmental agencies; and nonprofit national, regional and
local service organizations. What they all have in common is a belief that
America is a better place to live and our communities are stronger when the
creativity of artists is prevalent in all aspects of society. http://www.giarts.org
The Craft Organization Development Association offers education and professional
development to foster public appreciation of craft. It works to strengthen craft
organizations and agencies by conducting research and providing communication
and networking opportunities, public education and advocacy for the
craft industry. http://www.codacraft.org
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Our Vision
The following guest commentaries are provided by Kentucky leaders who
have diverse areas of expertise and a depth of experience in public life. We
asked them to share their perspectives in relationship to our ends statements,
the guiding vision of the Kentucky Arts Council.
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Kentuckians value the role of the
arts in society.
We are truly lucky to live in a state that values art.
There is so much about Kentucky that inspires our artists and stimulates
our appreciation for the arts. We are truly lucky to live in a state that values
art in all its forms and provides an environment for artists and art lovers to
thrive. From our small communities to urban areas, thousands of artists live
and work among us, allowing us to witness their amazing
talents and enabling them to inspire new artists.
The Kentucky Arts Council does a tremendous job of fulfilling
its mission of creating opportunities for the people of
Kentucky to value, participate in and benefit from the arts.
An example of this is the newly-constructed KFC YUM!
Center in Louisville. During construction of the KFC YUM!
Center, the Louisville Arena Authority determined that it
had both an opportunity and responsibility to incorporate
public art into the arena’s final design. Led by board members
Lindy Street and Dan Ulmer, the Authority worked
with the Kentucky Arts Council to ensure that the arena
included a significant piece of public art.
Jim Host at the KFC YUM! Center in front of the
sculpture “Further” by Al Price. Photo courtesy
of the Louisville Arena Authority.
W. James Host
Chairman
Louisville Arena Authority
As home of the University of Louisville basketball program,
as well as concerts, conventions, and family shows and
entertainment, the KFC YUM! Center will host hundreds
of thousands of people each year. While the breathtaking views of the Ohio
River and the expansive public plaza certainly could be considered works of
art, the arena also features the newly-installed “Further,” a public work of art
by Al Price of Al Price Studio. “Further” is a three-dimensional stainless steel
sculpture suspended from aircraft cable that spans 200 feet of the arena’s
west side on the main concourse. This large, modern piece of art complements
the design of the KFC YUM! Center. Its curved stainless steel design
is evocative of the waves and movement of the Ohio River and captures the
motion, grace and speed of basketball and other sporting events, along with
the excitement of the shows that will take place in the facility.
The Louisville Arena Authority believes in the value that this art brings to
the KFC YUM! Center, as well as the entire community. While many of the
arena’s guests will visit one or more of Kentucky’s outstanding museums
and galleries or experience our rich arts culture in another form, there are
some who may not. How wonderful to provide an opportunity to experience
art in this unexpected space. Like sporting events and great entertainment,
art generates passion and conversation, and we hope that “Further” does
just that. We share the Kentucky Arts Council’s belief that art is relevant
everywhere, including public arenas, and we hope that the Louisville Arena
Authority’s efforts will inspire future public projects to incorporate art in their
final designs. •
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Jim Host was the driving force behind the KFC YUM! Center and is the
founding chairman of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. In
2005, when the University of Louisville began exploring its options for a
facility to replace Freedom Hall, Host was asked by Gov. Ernie Fletcher
to help lead the task force. Host eagerly took on the challenge and the task
force became what is today the Louisville Arena Authority. Host served in Gov.
Fletcher’s administration as Commerce Cabinet secretary for two years, retiring
in October 2005. He is the former chairman and CEO of Host Communications,
which he founded in Lexington, Ky. The business grew rapidly as Host started
a relationship with the NCAA, and he is credited with implementing the first
national collegiate corporate marketing program.
At age 29, Host became the youngest member of Gov. Louie B. Nunn’s cabinet
as commissioner of the Department of Public Information and then as commissioner
of the Department of Parks. He was the Republican nominee for
Lieutenant Governor in 1971.
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Artists live and work in a
supportive environment.
Commissioning and purchasing art for buildings benefits artists.
When the Kentucky Chamber renovated and added space to our headquarters
just off I-64 in Frankfort, we wanted something distinctive, and we
wanted visitors to have a true sense of Kentucky. As we met with the architects,
we tossed around all sorts of ideas. Should the building look like a
distillery or a horse barn, or should it be surrounded by dry stone fences
The architects convinced me that it was appropriate to have a functional,
contemporary space, but we could make it “Kentucky” by what was inside
the building.
With 7,000 square feet of new meeting space, the Chamber
regularly entertains business and political leaders,
foreign dignitaries and visitors. We wanted our space to
have a strong Kentucky character, and what better way
to do that than by highlighting some of Kentucky’s best
artists and craftspeople
Thanks to the generous grant from Brown-Forman—a
great corporate steward and supporter of the arts—and
guidance from the Kentucky Arts Council, we were able
to initially feature 11 contemporary artists and more than
25 pieces of art in our offices. We hope to continue to add
to the collection annually.
Dave Adkisson in the Kentucky Chamber’s
formal board room in front of the “Four Seasons
of Kentucky” by John Lackey. Photo courtesy of
the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.
Dave Adkisson
President & CEO
Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
Visitors entering our building are flanked by four, 20-foot
panoramic images of the Commonwealth by photographer
Jeff Rogers, gracing the upper walls of our atrium. On the lower walls,
visitors can enjoy landscapes by Chris Lewis-Segre, Dan McGrath and John
Lackey. Many of the meeting rooms are adorned with mixed media works by
Darrell Ishmael, which uniquely incorporate coal as a medium. In the formal
board room is a stained glass sculpture by Dan Neil Barnes and a board
table in the round by Shawn Strevels and Faulkner Fain. Other furnishings in
the reception area include a coffee table by Mark Whitley and hand-turned
bowls by Lonnie Combs. A wall installation of ceramic plates by Wayne Bates
and colorful collages by Kathleen O’Brien round out the sophisticated flavor
of the collection.
The entire investment in Kentucky artists was only two percent of the total
building project budget, but the investment added at least 50 percent to the
aesthetic, the ambience and the experience visitors have when they come
into our building.
We recently hosted the national board meeting of the American Chamber of
Commerce Executives. Not long after that, I got a call from my counterpart in
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Salt Lake City. He said they were expanding their building
and he wanted a staff member to see what we had done,
specifically the art work. So we are getting some national
recognition for this project and hope to be a model for
other chambers and businesses as they embark upon
renovation or new construction.
Not only is commissioning and purchasing art a way to
enhance the beauty of a building and create a uniquely
local atmosphere, it also benefits artists. Income for artists
enables them to have homes, raise families and enjoy the
fruits of their labor. It gives the artists much-needed exposure.
And it helps our local economies.
With this project, we found that you can do a lot for a
tiny fraction of the cost of a building, have something
completely unique and support individual artists and
the broader arts community. It’s a win-win for everyone
involved. •
Dave Adkisson leads the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, the largest business organization in Kentucky,
which advocates for a strong business climate in the Commonwealth, uniting business and advancing
Kentucky. Adkisson works with the Kentucky Legislature, the Governor, the state’s Congressional delegation
and the court system. During his five years at the Kentucky Chamber, the organization has grown substantially,
expanded its headquarters in Frankfort and placed a major emphasis on governmental relations.
Adkisson also served as the chairman of the board of the American Chamber of Commerce Executives, which
represents more than 7,000 chamber of commerce professionals across the country. He also serves on the board
of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the nation’s largest business association.
Adkisson is originally from Owensboro, Ky., where he began his career working for the local chamber of commerce.
Later, he was elected mayor of Owensboro and re-elected four years later without opposition.
Adkisson has held several statewide leadership posts in Kentucky, including chairman of the Kentucky Advocates
for Higher Education, co-founder of Leadership Kentucky and chairman of the Kentucky Center for Public Issues.
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Statewide delivery of programs
and services is provided.
The arts council serves our Commonwealth.
My introduction to the Kentucky Arts Council came when planning this
administration’s first Governor’s Derby Celebration. The arts council’s staff
was there, ready to do whatever was necessary to make the event successful
and infuse arts into the festivities. At this annual celebration, the agency
brings in Kentucky Crafted artists from across the Commonwealth
to sell their work and conducts an open call to
artists for the Governor’s Derby Exhibit, a spring-themed
visual arts show in the Capitol. The arts council also
developed an artful way to have tablecloths for picnic
tables and involve school children from all areas of the
state. Each table was designed to look like a horse and
each horse was draped with a colorful canvas or “horse
blanket” for the enjoyment of visitors at the Derby celebration.
First Lady Jane Beshear gives a television
interview on the economic impact of
Kentucky Crafted: The Market.
First Lady Jane Beshear
Commonwealth of Kentucky
Last year, as Kentucky hosted the 2010 FEI Alltech World
Equestrian Games, the arts council once again demonstrated
that the arts are one of our best tourism assets.
Artists in the Kentucky Crafted Program developed products
specifically for the anticipated tens of thousands of
horse lovers coming to Kentucky from around the world. At the games, the
arts council showcased the performing arts at the Kentucky Experience Pavilion.
To ensure its success, the arts council held an open call to performing
artists, developed a selection process to guarantee each region of Kentucky
was well represented and then managed the logistics of the performance
stage for 72 performances in the span of 16 days. Visitors enjoyed the wide
variety of music and theater presented, from bluegrass to classical and everything
in between. The arts council also partnered with Lexington-Fayette
Urban County Government to bring Kentucky Crafted artists to Triangle Park
during Spotlight Lexington. The agency also provided funding for artists from
the arts council’s Performing Arts Directory to perform on the three stages at
the downtown festival held during the FEI Alltech World Equestrian Games.
Bringing the arts to Kentuckians is one of the things the Kentucky Arts Council
does best. I had the privilege of inviting the National Symphony Orchestra
to Kentucky for its 2011 American Residency, on behalf of the arts council.
During the orchestra’s eight-day stay, it performed full symphony concerts
in each of our six congressional districts, and orchestra members fanned
out across Kentucky to bring more than 130 chamber concerts and educational
programs to 35 towns and cities. As the National Symphony Orchestra’s
in-state partner, the arts council coordinated the scheduling, logistics
and promotion of this phenomenal opportunity for so many Kentuckians to
experience world-class music.
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I know my involvement with the arts council only represents
a small part of what the agency does. Its marketing
programs for visual, craft, performing, architectural
and teaching artists make it possible for artists to make
a living. This positively affects Kentucky’s economy. The
arts council’s education programs help students achieve
in all areas of academic life and become engaged in the
learning process. The arts council’s support of Kentucky’s
traditional arts brings national recognition to Kentucky and
gives Kentuckians a sense of pride in our heritage and
ever-changing culture.
operational support helps theaters, museums, publishers,
performing groups, and community and performing arts
centers of all sizes offer year-round arts activities throughout
the state. This public investment in the arts builds
vibrant communities, attracts tourism dollars, improves
the quality of education, creates jobs, enhances the economy
and enriches the lives of all Kentuckians.
I continue to be impressed by the positive impact of the
Kentucky Arts Council and its ability to deliver the arts to
Kentuckians. •
A large portion of the arts council’s funding is distributed
to Kentucky nonprofit arts and cultural organizations. This
As First Lady, Jane Beshear has pioneered many initiatives that will positively affect
the people of Kentucky and move our state forward. As a 20-year supporter of
the Kentucky Literacy Commission, she continues to emphasize the importance
of a good education and a healthy start in life for our children. She has organized Graduate
Kentucky: A Community Approach, focusing on drop-out prevention and increasing graduation
rates in Kentucky. She also releases a top 10 reading list featuring recommended
titles four times a year to encourage young people to read for pleasure.
She works to support economic development and the tourism industry through her involvement
with adventure tourism and promoting arts and heritage activities. Beshear was also
active in welcoming guests and hosting the FEI Alltech World Equestrian Games in 2010.
Beshear has partnered with the Kentucky Cancer Program to found Horses and Hope,
which provides members of the horse industry with breast cancer education, screening,
and treatment referral and organizes special events to honor survivors.
15

Public policy supports the arts
in Kentucky.
We cannot simply cut our way to a better future.
Over the last several months in Washington, our debate has focused almost
exclusively on finding ways to balance the budget and reduce the federal
deficit. I share the concern of citizens across our country about the urgency
of getting our fiscal house in order.
But we cannot simply cut our way to a better future. In every budget, we
demonstrate what our values are as a nation. The investments we make
speak to our immediate priorities, our goals for the
future and the opportunities we provide for the generations
that will follow us.
Yet many of my colleagues in Congress are neglecting
to take this longer view. They have proposed millions
of dollars in cuts to the arts and arts education programs—initiatives
that not only strengthen our culture
but also our economy and our communities.
Savannah Miller with Rep. John Yarmuth in
front of her art work, which won his 2011
Congressional District Art Competition.
Rep. John Yarmuth
U.S. House of Representatives
Kentucky’s 3rd Congressional District
When we invest in the arts and arts education, the benefits
do not stop at the studio, stage or classroom door.
Study after study proves that students with access to
arts education programs in school are more likely to go
to college and succeed in the careers they pursue. Individuals
engaged in the arts are more engaged in their
communities. Regardless of economic or social background,
Americans who participated in arts education programs are more
likely to vote, volunteer in their community and work for causes that benefit
their friends and neighbors.
The arts help build confidence, imagination, innovation and a sense of
empowerment. When we think of how we want our country to look in the
future, those are attributes we undoubtedly hope will be ingrained in every
citizen. They are the characteristics that helped make our nation strong and
the same ones that can make us even stronger in the years to come.
I’m proud to say that my hometown of Louisville provides a perfect example
of the profound impact art can have on every one of our citizens. Louisville
is one of just 12 cities in the country that can boast a nationally-recognized
theater, a children’s theater, a ballet, an orchestra, and an opera. We are
home to vibrant and nationally-recognized music, theater, and visual arts
communities. And we have done it all thanks to a supportive relationship
among artists, local residents, and the local, state and federal government.
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But all these artistic endeavors do not just create more
options for education and cultural experiences—they
translate into jobs and economic growth. Arts and cultural
organizations help employ nearly 8,000 people in Jefferson
County, and arts events draw more than 5 million visitors
to Louisville each year, injecting nearly $260 million
into our economy.
Nationwide, the arts sector generates more than $165 billion
annually, supporting almost 6 million jobs. And the
dividends of federal investments in the arts are significant.
For every dollar of federal support for the arts provided to a
local community, nine dollars of economic activity are generated,
meaning more jobs and more economic growth.
When we weigh the choices we must make in our budget,
it is essential that we consider the long-term impact of
each of our options. The evidence proves that funding
for the arts and arts education creates jobs now, spurs
community involvement and economic growth, and helps
prepare our children to be the creators, innovators and
leaders who will guide our nation to future prosperity and
success.
The financial challenges we face in Washington are daunting
and the choices are not easy. But we must fight to
ensure that the easy politics of attacking federal funding
for the arts are trumped by the smart and responsible
policy of supporting investments in the arts and arts education.
•
Congressman Yarmuth, in his third term, was selected to
the Committee on Budget, the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform and the Committee on Ethics. He is
also a member of the Congressional Arts Caucus. He has served as
president of the freshman class and as senior whip.
Although best known as founder and columnist for LEO, Louisville’s
alternative newsweekly, Yarmuth’s diverse career has included work
in public policy, business, higher education and health care.
Yarmuth previously worked on Capitol Hill as legislative aide for Kentucky
Senator Marlowe Cook before moving back to Louisville to publish
Louisville Today Magazine. He went on to work as associate vice
president of university relations at the University of Louisville and
vice president of a local healthcare firm.
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Lifelong education in the arts is
encouraged.
Without the arts, learning is incomplete.
According to Pablo Picasso, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to
remain an artist once he grows up.” As adults we have a responsibility to
build upon the creativity, imagination and natural love for art that our children
are born with.
In my 37 years as an educator, I have seen firsthand the transformational
power the arts have to bring a classroom to life, enable students to achieve
more than they thought they could and enhance their understanding of the
world around them. The challenge for those of us who
have dedicated our lives to K-12 education is to marry
the climate of high stakes accountability and tight budgets
with the knowledge that without the arts, learning is
incomplete.
Stu Silberman surrounded by Fayette County
school kids. Photo courtesy of Tim Webb of
Tim Webb Photography.
Stu Silberman
Superintendent
Fayette County Public Schools
Arts education builds a school environment of high
expectation, discipline and academic rigor; strengthens
student problem-solving and critical-thinking skills; and
provides another opportunity for family, community and
business involvement with schools. Through the arts,
we ensure that our children receive a well-rounded education.
We know that authentic experiences in the arts
expand the view of the world for our kids, many of whom
have not had those opportunities. Art connects people
in a way that no other medium can.
Arts education makes a tremendous impact on the developmental growth
of every child and has proven to help level the learning field across socioeconomic
boundaries. We know that quality classroom experiences in the
arts have been shown to help close academic achievement gaps.
While our kids are growing culturally and artistically, their brains are developing
at new levels as they participate in the arts. Just think about how the
brain is developing when a student is playing the piano, reading music and
singing at the same time. How about the student who memorized lines in a
play or mastered the choreography in a complicated dance routine
Additionally, students are developing leadership skills as they participate in
band, orchestra, choir, drama productions and more. Teamwork is learned
by being a productive member of a team, and those lessons are taught daily
when kids are involved with the arts. Our society craves people who can not
only get along with each other but are also creative and productive members
of the workforce. Again, participation in the arts gives our students advantages
in these areas.
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Research has linked experiences in the arts with higher
achievement in reading, math and science, more regular
attendance, lower dropout rates, decreased delinquent
behavior, increased involvement in community service,
and the development of leadership skills. In today’s economic
climate of tight budgets, the arts face survival challenges
in schools across our country. I would argue that
more school districts should follow the path we have taken
in Fayette County—rather than cut our arts programs, we
have invested in the arts and expanded the opportunities
for our children. •
Stu Silberman retired as superintendent of Fayette County Public Schools
after seven years of service. He will be taking the post of executive director
of the nonprofit education advocacy group Prichard Committee for
Academic Excellence effective Sept. 1, 2011. During his tenure in Fayette
County, he convened the community, and they agreed to put strong emphasis
on the arts with great success in closing the achievement gap in all areas of the
curriculum.
Before accepting the Fayette County position, Silberman was superintendent at
Daviess County Public Schools where he was widely praised as an advocate of
innovative educational approaches. The Daviess County school board approved
Graduation 2010, in which all elementary kids received piano lessons, foreign
language instruction, exposure to artists, chess instruction and access to nurses
in schools. This brain-based learning program received national attention, and
Daviess County Public Schools received the Governor’s Awards in the Arts Education
Award during his tenure there. Silberman’s mantra is, “It’s about kids.”
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Our Stories
The following interviews represent the artistic endeavors supported by the
grants, awards and marketing programs of the Kentucky Arts Council. We
feature artists from as far west as Rumsey in McLean County and as far east
as Big Doubles in Knott County. We spoke with a wide range of people and
personalities, from the Cuban-born choreographer in Lexington to the stayat-home
working mom/potter in Louisville.
The interviews were conducted by Ed Lawrence, communications director
for the arts council.
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Architectural Artists Directory
The Architectural Artists Directory promotes artists who have an established
history of working on special projects and installations with private clients,
home builders, architects and interior designers. There are 30 artists adjudicated
into the Architectural Artists Directory.
Craig Kaviar
Kaviar Forge and Gallery
Louisville, Ky.
As I approached Craig Kaviar’s studio, which is a forge, I was overwhelmed
by the industrial feel and the massive amount of metal everywhere. I don’t
know why I expected a neat little studio with a few hot furnaces, but this is
not the case for a metal worker who does large scale architectural commissions.
Craig demonstrated the whole process of making iron leaves, which will later
be incorporated into a large-scale handrail. The heat of the furnace, the
pounding on the anvil and the intricate shaping manifested a well choreographed
performance. Visually the forge was overwhelming. There were so
many shapes and textures to look at, but you had to have a discerning eye
because everything was the same color — metallic dark grey.
After talking with Craig awhile, I asked for a tour of his gallery. It was a beautiful,
orderly space showcasing a wide variety of art and craft. And displayed
in the gallery, his metal work suddenly had color!
ED: Hi, Craig, you want to tell me what you were just working on
CRAIG: I was working on making some iron leaves as part of a sculptural
handrail that I’m making for Norton Hospital’s new cancer center that will
open this summer. This rail will bring you from the cancer center into their
healing garden.
ED: How long does it take from the time you start talking to the people who are
commissioning an architectural piece to the finished product
Video
CRAIG: Each project is different. With Norton’s Hospital, the piece was
designed by late September and contracted in the fall. But because it’s part
of a construction project, it has to be coordinated with the general contractor.
And so, I’ll have eight weeks from when I got the placement pattern and
when I need to have it completed and installed, and that’ll just be days before
the opening of the facility.
22

ED: I know you also do some smaller-size work that fits
into the giftware or home decor categories. Are there retail
venues beyond Kentucky that carry your work
CRAIG: I do a fair amount of candlesticks, purse hangers,
little J-hooks and wine racks, and they can be found in
galleries throughout the United States. I have pieces in the
Jewish Museum in New York City, in Texas, Iowa and quite
a number of places. I had candlesticks and a sculptural
relief piece exhibited in the U.S. Pavilion in Japan at the
World’s Fair a couple of years ago.
ED: How long have you been making a living as an artist
CRAIG: I started as an apprentice to a sculptor while I was
in high school. I had my first professional job as a village
blacksmith in Hancock Shaker Village in 1976 while I was
still in school, and I’ve been forging ahead ever since!
ED: I know you have been a part of the Kentucky Crafted
Program almost since its inception. What kind of benefits
have there been to being a part of the program
CRAIG: I think what benefited me the most was their education
program. When I started and was a struggling artist
trying to establish myself here in Kentucky, they brought in
successful artists who talked about product development
and presentation. It really helped me extend myself and
push me to a more professional level, and it enabled me
to take some risks.
ED: The arts council started the Architectural Artist program
just last year. It’s a new program, and you were
selected to participate in that. What do you think about
that program
CRAIG: It’s a great program. I think it’s really good to have
a resource like that, where you recognize people who are
doing architectural work on a fine crafts level. To put artists
who are doing top quality work in a publication is a
major benefit. I think there is still work to be done in getting
that out to those who are going to use it as a resource
for incorporating architectural work into their buildings,
but it has great potential.
ED: I know that you support yourself as an artist, and I see
that you have a couple of apprentices that you also teach
and help support. I understand that you have a gallery
where you feature not only your own work but the work of
other artists.
CRAIG: That’s true. We have about 40 Kentucky artists represented
in the gallery. We have about a hundred American
craftspeople in all, and we’re actually looking to focus
more on Kentucky arts and crafts in the gallery to make
that a real focus of the gallery. •
Directory: http://artistdirectory.ky.gov/Pages/ArchitecturalArtistDirectory.aspx
Video: http://bit.ly/kacAR11Kaviar
23

Arts Education Roster
The Arts Education Roster (now renamed the Teaching Artists Directory)
promotes Kentucky artists who produce high quality artistic work and have
the skills and competencies needed to work with teachers and students in
designing and implementing arts education programs. There are 39 artists
adjudicated into the Arts Education Roster.
Judy Sizemore
Teaching Artist
McKee, Ky.
I knew Judy Sizemore would be a hard person to get an interview with
because she always has so many irons in so many fires. As a writer, teaching
artist, community arts organizer and arts education consultant, she is constantly
on the go. I caught up with her in Berea where she was conducting a
professional development workshop for teachers as part of Berea’s Festival
of Learnshops.
ED: Hi, Judy. So what are you doing here in Berea
JUDY: In Berea today we have a professional development workshop. We’ve
got 30 teachers here, and what we’re doing is demonstrating to them how
they can use working studio artists as part of their curriculum, whether they
want to connect it to science or social studies or the arts. So I’m excited to
have this many teachers come in to look at different ways to incorporate the
arts.
ED: So your experience as a teaching artist has gone beyond just going in the
classroom
JUDY: Yes, and I think that’s true for most teaching artists. We tend to take
the skills that we develop as teaching artists in the classroom and to build on
that. A lot of the teaching artists do professional development workshops for
teachers. A lot of us also work in community situations. I kind of specialize
in working with recovering drug addicts and people who are incarcerated.
And others have other areas of expertise. It’s fun to kind of take that joy that
you have in sharing your art form in the classroom and be able to use it in
public settings.
Video
ED: What is your art form, and how do you share that
JUDY: Well, I’m a writer, and I have a couple of things that I do with kids when
I go in as a teaching artist. One is my great passion, which is poetry. My goal
with that is just to have kids playing with language and learning to use poetry
as a way to capture the good times and deal with the bad times. My goal is
24

not that they become the greatest poets in the world, but
that they develop a love of the written word.
One of the neatest experiences I had was this past spring
when I was up in Estill County. I was working with second
and third graders and they were just such a joy. The theme
we were working with was water and how important water
is to our lives. So, you know, we talked about the water
cycle, we talked about clouds, we talked about waterfalls
and rivers and everything. And we were writing haiku and
cinquain, and when we got to the end of the lesson, one
of the students said, “Oh, we didn’t have writing today. Do
we still have to have writing” And the teacher said, “This
was writing.” And the girl said, “But it was fun!” At the
same school, actually during the same residency, this little
second grade girl came skipping down the hall saying, “I
love poetry!” And I was like, OK, this is why I exist; this is
why I do what I do.
And then the second thing that I do quite often is what I
call community heritage stories, where I engage students
in talking to members of their family or people who are
carrying on some kind of tradition. It doesn’t necessarily
have to be some kind of old-timey tradition like quilting. It
might be four-wheeling or something like that. There are a
lot of different kinds of traditions, which is something I’ve
learned from working with the Folklife Program. So we ask
them to do interviews. They bring in that information, then
we talk about how you take an interview and pull out the
pieces that you want and organize it in a way that makes
sense. As a writer it is their job to take those pieces and
put the puzzle together.
ED: You often use the George Ella Lyon “I am from...”
prompt for writing poetry. Can you share some of your
experiences with that
JUDY: Sure. One of the things that I coordinate every year
is bringing international students into the eastern Kentucky
schools, where they are a little bit more remote,
where they don’t have as much interaction with people of
diverse cultures. And so, these college-age students from
all these different countries pair up with our Appalachian
kids and write these “I am from...” poems together. It’s
just an incredible way for them to share. What we try to
look at is not just saying, “I’m from McKee, Ky.,” but “I’m
from cornbread and soup beans.” You know, I’m from the
things that I eat, the things that I experience, I’m from my
family, I’m from all the places I’ve lived—really making
that into a sensory experience.
ED: So, Judy, you have been on the Arts Education Roster
for the arts council for a long time
JUDY: Right, I’ve been on the roster for 23 years.
ED: So what’s that experience been like
JUDY: Phenomenal. And the reason for that is because of
the other artists you get to partner with. I mean I rarely do
a residency alone. It’s so exciting to play off of the different
art forms. I can’t even begin to express how much it has
helped me to grow, and I think that’s true for everybody
on the roster.
ED: Have you gotten work from being on the Arts Education
Roster beyond TIP [Teacher Initiated Program] grants
JUDY: Oh yeah, definitely. Because people come to know
you through the TIP grant and they’ll say, “Well, we’re
doing this. Could you come back and do that with us” Or
maybe sometimes they’ll just see you on the website and
get in touch with you. But, definitely, in terms of being able
to make a living as an artist, it’s been wonderful, because
it opens up a lot of opportunities for you. And as anyone
knows who has been a starving artist or poet or whatever,
it’s difficult to make a full-time living at your artist discipline
unless you diversify. And you can diversify by making different
products, or you can diversify by sharing your art.
So I think that being a teaching artist on the roster has
made all these fantastic connections for me, has gotten
my name out there and what I do. The arts council staff
are fabulous in terms of saying, “Well, have you ever
thought about doing this” or “Do you think you might
want to be involved in this project” It’s like coming to a
family reunion every time you get together with the other
artists and with the arts council staff. •
Directory: http://artistdirectory.ky.gov/Pages/ArtsEducationArtistDirectory.aspx
Video: http://bit.ly/kacAR11Sizemore
25

Kentucky Crafted Program
The Kentucky Crafted Program helps craft and visual artists market their
work by providing them business training and promotional opportunities,
such as inclusion in the online directory of adjudicated Kentucky Crafted artists
and the opportunity to exhibit at Kentucky Crafted: The Market, the program’s
award-winning annual showcase. There are 378 artists adjudicated
into the Kentucky Crafted Program.
Caroline Zama
Star Bird Studio
Louisville, Ky.
When I called Caroline Zama to make an appointment, she said, “Sure, but
you have to know, my studio is in my home.” I had no problem with that since
I realize many artists have studios in their homes. When I got there she welcomed
me with a cup of coffee and then just started talking. She talked and
worked at the same time. In a matter of minutes she had created a mission
house and demonstrated how to make a chubby bird, both signature pieces
for Star Bird Studio. I left feeling like I had made a new friend and envious of
the life she has created for herself through her art.
CAROLINE: I really just kind of stumbled on making this change in my life and
just deciding to go full force with pottery, and teaching pottery and trying to
sell my work. You know Louisville is kind of a bubble for being an arts city and
having so many art festivals and shows and galleries, and I said, “Well, that’s
good that I live here.” I am able to contribute meaningfully to my family’s
income. This may sound silly to you, but I was able to get a new vehicle at
the end of last year. I never in my life thought that. I thought I’d be driving my
old CRV for the rest of my years, and I really needed something bigger. Now
I’m paying for it from the money I make every month. This is a big deal to me.
ED: You said earlier that you threw pottery for about 20 years and then you
went to slab. So what was the impetus
Video
CAROLINE: Well, you’re going to laugh. I couldn’t get up to the wheel anymore,
because I was so pregnant. And I couldn’t throw properly standing up. I was
huge. And that’s really it. And after I had my daughter, I said there’s no throwing
a pot and doing the steps that it takes to complete a thrown pot when you
have a child in there. I said, “This is it, I’m going to hand build.” It was the
ease of it and I fell in love with it. I used to not like hand building whatsoever.
I barely touched it. Now, I just love the feel, and I like the organic way that I
can express myself. I don’t really want to throw anymore. I want to build, and
I can build anything now with slabs that I could have thrown. And as you can
see, a lot of the whimsical bright colors, that’s the way my work looks. And
that just developed.
26

ED: So, are you really scientific with your glazes or are they
kind of random
CAROLINE: There are some serious glaze folks out there. I’m
not one of them. I am not scientific with the glazes, but
I spend an inordinate amount of time glazing, because
I hand glaze each piece. I follow the scene on the pot.
There may be twelve different colors on here and I want
that house, or that bird or that scene to show up.
ED: So, what’s up with all these chickens
CAROLINE: I was awarded the Kentucky Fried Chicken
Christmas job, and it is going to entail me making 700 of
my chickens—chickens strung on raffia with little wooden
beads. And, mind you, I made the prototype so it is my
fault. But every year, Kentucky Fried Chicken likes to give
authentic home-crafted gifts to all their managers of all
their stores in the United States for Christmas presents.
So now this year, they’re going to get one of my chickens.
So It’s really exciting for me, but everyone in the home
has a job now. I’m like, “Honey, what are you doing sitting
there doing nothing Get to stringing the raffia on those
chickens!” You know We’re up to around 400. I have to
make a delivery soon. I did not know it was going to take
such a long time to string these chickens, but I’m going to
be clucking by Thanksgiving!
ED: So how do you make these birds
CAROLINE: To make the birds like you see here, they’re
hollow and you want to fire a piece of clay that’s hollow,
not solid. So I use a balloon and then I pop it when I’m
finished. Every piece has a little hole somewhere in it to let
the air out when it’s firing. And I pinch, and I pull, and I
tuck, and I squeeze, and I tear off, and I cut off and then
eventually, I hopefully get a bird that I like.
It’s been really funny, actually. I find it so gratifying. People
tell me where they use their birds and where they have
them in their house. And some of them tell me how they
talk to them. They’re really sweet about it. It’s very touching.
I didn’t think about that part of selling something that
I make—to have people come back and talk to me about
the pieces.
So, here’s the bird that I just finished. This was the balloon.
I wrapped the slab around it and textured it with
some wallpaper. I love using old things for different textures.
This is my Dad’s fishing net. This is my sister’s hair
roller. She doesn’t actually know this, but it makes great
sunshines or sunflowers. My parents still live on the Gulf
of Mexico on the water, so I pick up shells from their place.
And old lace from my Great Aunt Lena—we named our
youngest one Lena. I didn’t know what to do with all this
lace I inherited, because I’m not a doily kind of person.
But it’s nice to remember her this way.
ED: So you’ve been able to make a living at it
CAROLINE: Yes, I have. I’ve made a living at it. I’m able to
contribute to my life, to our household, to actually feel like
I’m plugged into something. It’s not something that I could
have predicted ever—that I could be sitting here making
houses and pitchers and vases and birds that do nothing
but look cute and sassy. And people call me and say,
“Can you make me 25 of those for my shop” I mean, who
would’ve guessed that So, I’m shocked. I do think a lot of
it is because Kentucky has such a pride in their handcrafting.
There are so many ways to express yourself here and
to try to make a living. If you really want to make a living
from pottery or from another craft, then you can.
ED: You had mentioned earlier about getting juried into
craft fairs, and you are newly juried into the Kentucky
Crafted Program of the arts council. Was last year your
first Market
CAROLINE: Yes, and it was so much fun. I was so nervous.
And I didn’t know how to do the logistics of it at first, and
it took a lot of phone calls and asking other artists. I loved
it. I know it’s probably different if you’re a new exhibitor,
because folks want to come in and see the new person.
But, I met so many new shop owners from around the
state, and it’s opened up a lot of doors for me. I wouldn’t
have been able to be in an exhibit in the Capitol earlier in
the year but for having juried into Kentucky Crafted. It has
also opened opportunities for me to be in other art shows.
People say, “We’ll give you a shot!” Now I’m in 10 different
stores across the state. I’m busy, I am not stopping. I work
every day, every night. •
Directory: http://artistdirectory.ky.gov/Pages/KentuckyCraftedDirectory.aspx
Video: http://bit.ly/kacAR11Zama
27

Performing Arts Directory
The Performing Arts Directory is a roster of Kentucky performing artists used
by in-state and out-of-state presenters and others as a resource for identifying
artists for performance bookings and projects. There are 95 artists adjudicated
into the Performing Arts Directory.
Heath Eric
Singer/Songwriter Americana Music
Rumsey, Ky.
After examining Heath Eric’s extensive touring schedule, I decided to meet
up with him after his gig at Francisco’s Farm Art Festival held at Equus Run
Vineyards in Midway, Ky. It worked out great. It was a beautiful day, I got
to enjoy the festival and his performance, and it saved me the travel to far
western Kentucky.
The performance with his partner Molly G was nothing less than sensational.
He even brought his eight-year-old son Jackson up on the stage for a number.
They had the audience with them the whole time, and I started to worry that
the festival goers might not ever leave to shop the festival. So, I talked with
him as he was packing up his truck and heading for the road again.
ED: How are you doing, Heath
HEATH: I’m doing great. I mean, who couldn’t be doing great on this day It’s
beautiful, man. We had a great set here at Equus Run. We love coming to
Francisco’s Farm Arts Fair every year.
ED: I heard you say during the set that you have been making a living as a
full-time musician for four years now. What does it take to do that
Video
HEATH: Well, it takes a lot of hard work, I tell you what! I’m very blessed and
grateful to have the opportunity to do what I love, but I work very hard at it.
It’s a non-stop everyday job, and it’s just like anything in life. If you want to
do something bad enough, you need to be willing to do what it takes to do
it. And that’s what we do, and I’m thankful every day that I wake up and I’m
able to do what I love. So it takes a lot of hard work, a lot of determination,
some thick skin and certainly a lot of help from folks like the arts council, and
venues like Equus Run and Francisco’s Farm and folks all over the state who
support original artists doing this for a living.
ED: So, about how many gigs a year do you do
28

HEATH: Well, this year we are hoping to hit between 150
and 175. We’ve been clocking it in miles. Last year we
drove over 35,000 miles, and this year, as our calendar is
now, we are going to hit 50,000 miles. So we’re keeping
the tire shops and the oil change shops in business.
ED: In the performance, you had a key person with you,
Molly G. She’s a great addition and has just been adjudicated
into the program for the Performing Arts Directory.
Tell me a little bit about how you got started with Molly G
HEATH: Well that’s a great story. My hair’s standing up just
hearing that, because it’s a story of love and talent. It’s just
an unbelievable thing. We both live in McLean County in a
very small town, Rumsey. Calhoun is the county seat, and
I think on a good day we might have 800 and in Rumsey
we might have 18. We love where we live. We met. And
of course you spend a moment around Molly G, and you
have to love her. You hear her sing, and you are just taken
away to a place that is certainly not of this earth. She has
the voice of an angel and so much talent. She came in
to sing on my first album, and I think it was love at first
sight—both musically and emotionally. It’s just been phenomenal,
and I know she’s excited to be in the Performing
Arts Directory.
ED: So on the business side of being a professional musician,
has the Performing Arts Directory made any difference
HEATH: Oh absolutely. I can’t say enough about the help
and support we’ve gotten from the arts council, in so many
ways. Just being adjudicated gave us both the confidence
and that stamp of authenticity that we were legit artists.
And it really helped us as we pursued work and gigs. You
know we like to get paid for our work, which in this business
it’s always tough. A lot of people don’t seem to understand
that it is work, and the arts council always has our
back on that. But they are also in the front lines providing
opportunities for us for performance, for showcasing, for
workshops. We’re just thankful that you all are there to do
what you do.
ED: You’ve helped the arts council too. I know that you’ve
helped us in delivering some workshops to other performing
artists. What’s that’s been like
HEATH: Well, it’s been great. I think that kind of feeds the
business marketing side. Especially doing this as an independent
artist, you really have to be able to do everything.
I mean, literally from keeping your truck tuned up to marketing
yourself, promoting yourself, booking yourself. It’s
really a blessing to me to have the opportunities through
the arts council to share some of the things I’ve learned
with other people and help them maybe get a little further
down the road. •
Directory: http://artistdirectory.ky.gov/Pages/PerformingArtistDirectory.aspx
Video: http://bit.ly/kacAR11Eric
29

Al Smith Individual Artist
Fellowship Award
The Al Smith Individual Artist Fellowships are $7,500 unrestricted awards
given to Kentucky artists who have achieved a high level of excellence and
creativity in their work. In FY2011, 10 artists were awarded fellowships in the
categories of writing, composition and choreography. Visual and media artists
are awarded fellowships in alternate years.
Norbe Risco
Choreographer and Artistic Director
Kentucky Ballet Theatre, Lexington, Ky.
This was my first time to meet Norbe Risco. I knew of his work with the
Kentucky Ballet Theatre and the many pieces he had choreographed, all
the classics he had done and then the innovative “Hoops” he created as a
tribute to U.K. basketball. I also knew he created the complex and challenging
“Peter Pan” after receiving the Al Smith Fellowship in choreography. So,
I was curious to talk to him about that and his career as a dancer and choreographer.
We met in the studios of the Kentucky Ballet Theatre.
ED: Hi, Norbe. Why don’t you tell me a little bit about how you got into dance
NORBE: I got into dance when I was little in Cuba. They came to our school,
and they told us they were going to do auditions for the professional school of
arts in Cuba, for ballet. And I thought, “Ballet. That’s dancing with girls.” But
after I started, I realized it meant a lot of sacrifice and hard work to become
a professional ballet dancer. And even more in Cuba. It is so strict. You go
to a boarding school for eight years, and you cannot fail anything. If you fail
one thing you’re out of the school. After I studied for eight years, I joined the
professional company Ballet de Camaguey under the direction of Fernando
Alonzo. And then after that, I went to Mexico to perform under Fernando
Bujones. He was one of the greatest dancers. When I got to the United States
I joined the Ballet Theatre in Chicago; and then my wife and I moved to Lexington
and I was with the Lexington Ballet; and then we opened the Kentucky
Ballet Theatre Company in 1998.
ED: I see. So, how long have you been dancing professionally
Video
NORBE: I have been in this career for almost 31 years. Professional It’s been
23 years that I’ve been doing professional ballet, and I’ve been here in the
United States since 1996.
ED: I think everyone understands what dance is, but I’m not sure about choreography.
Can you tell us a little bit about choreography and the process
30

NORBE: Sure. I put it very simply. A choreographer is like an
architect. You have to build something; you have to start
from something. The first thing that you have to do is look
at what you want to build or create. And that’s the way we
do in choreography. You choose the story and then from
there you watch the movie, read the book and all that to
get all the details. From there, you choose the music that
you want to use, then the characters that you are going to
be using, because not necessarily every character should
be included in the choreography. And then there’s the
steps that you put in place to tell the story, because ballet
dancers don’t talk. So we do it through movement and
mime. It’s my job to translate a story into ballet, so the
audience can get that flow and what the ballet is about,
even though they may already be familiar with the story.
With “Peter Pan” we worked with a company based in
Louisville that does all the flying mechanisms. This was
the first time that I have actually included that element
in any of my choreography. “Peter Pan” was really something
that was magical for us. With music, sets, costumes,
choreography, it all worked out very, very well. I was really
happy with it.
ED: In terms of choreography, what was the biggest challenge
for “Peter Pan”
NORBE: How to characterize, through steps, every character.
Peter Pan has to be boyish, and Wendy has to be
a little girl. You know even though Peter Pan is tough,
and all that, he has to have that inner-child quality, he
never grows up. And then Captain Hook is tough also and
chases Peter Pan. And then Tinkerbelle is like a little fairy.
All those characters, you really have to be very careful
when you put them together.
ED: You recently received the Al Smith Individual Artist Fellowship
in Choreography. Can you tell us a little bit about
what that meant for your career, what difference it made
NORBE: For me it was something that’s special, because it
tells me that artists are well recognized here through the
Kentucky Arts Council. And for me it’s like an engine that
keeps me moving: research to get new ballets, to create
new things for my company here, the Kentucky Ballet
Theatre. The money’s always good, but at the same time
the recognition is what matters most to me. It’s also important
because people look at you in a different way. They
expect from you different things. So, I raise the bar, but at
the same time I have to keep it there because people will
say, “Well, you know, this artist won an Al Smith award in
choreography, so I expect something good.” So it is a challenge
for me to keep my quality high. It keeps me moving
forward. •
Video: http://bit.ly/kacAR11Risco
31

Folk and Traditional Arts
Apprenticeship Grant
The Folk and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship grant provides up to $3,000
to a Kentucky master traditional artist to teach skills, practices and culture
to a less-experienced artist from the same community over the course of a
year. In FY2011, grants were awarded to four master artists to work with their
apprentices.
George Gibson and John Haywood
Master old-time banjo player and his apprentice
Big Doubles, Ky., and Litt Carr, Ky.
I called John Haywood to see if he could find a time that he and George
Gibson were going to be working together so I could come and interview
them. He told me that George had just finished a big porch on his restored
150-year-old cabin and was having a get-together of musicians to celebrate
the occasion. I jumped at the invitation and asked him for directions.
Once I got there, forded the creek and got settled in, it was bucolic splendor.
There were musicians jamming non-stop on the porch. I had to tear myself
away to do the interview with George and John, but it was well worth it. As
the afternoon waned, there was an awesome sunset with the mountains serving
as a beautiful backdrop for the white-tailed deer coming out onto the flat
land to graze.
ED: George, can you tell us a little about your history: how you picked up the
banjo, the style of banjo you play, that sort of thing
GEORGE: I learned to play banjo around 1950. I lived in this area. At that time,
most old timers had quit playing banjo. My father probably hadn’t played
banjo in 12 or 15 years and that was true for most old timers. So many
people left eastern Kentucky around World War II and the early 50s; it was
a culture crash. You had a few old timers still playing, but they didn’t play at
school dances and at home dances as they had done previously.
Video
My father owned a country grocery store, and after I traded for a banjo in
1950, he played some for me. He knew at least 12 to 15 tunings of the
banjo. One of the functions of the banjo is telling stories, and in order to tell
stories they tuned the banjo different ways to get different sounds for different
songs. The banjo had previously had no frets, and a lot of the old timers
in the mountains still made their own banjos. So I learned a lot of different
tunings, and I learned techniques that were used in Knott County. That is,
there was a lot of left-handed picking and plucking as well as right hand
[plucks a little]. I learned a tune called “Morphine.” That was a Knott County
tune. I never heard it anywhere else, and the old fellow who played it for me
said, “Son! There’s more music in the bottom string of the banjo than any
32

other string.” And, I noticed when he played “Morphine,”
he’d pluck that bottom string like that [more plucking], get
a little roll [plays and sings a few bars of “Morphine”]. It
gives you a rolling sound, rather than this [plays another
few bars]. You get that little note, which falls in behind the
voice. They did that on a lot of old songs.
ED: And, John, how long have you been playing the banjo
JOHN: About eight years or so. I played the guitar for 20
years. About eight years ago I started picking up the banjo.
ED: So how long have you been working with George
JOHN: At least five or six years, I’ve known George. And
when I first met him I immediately started picking up on
the way he played the banjo. It reminded me… it sounded
like eastern Kentucky banjo.
ED: You’re originally from eastern Kentucky, is that right
JOHN: Yeah, from Floyd County, near Martin. You know,
growing up in the 80s around here there were very brief
remnants, I guess you would say, of the old music that
George plays. You know a lot of it’s gone. A lot of it has
been adopted into bluegrass, and it stayed alive that way.
But you don’t hear a lot of people playing the old-style
banjo. A lot of people don’t even remember the old style of
banjo playing either.
You’re influenced a lot of time by what you hear on the
radio or see on TV. And, of course, you think about banjo
players like Earl Scruggs, and Grandpa Jones and Stringbean.
They did play kind of in the old style. But that was
kind of all you know. Every once in a while you’d meet
someone who could sing or play something. My Papaw
sang in the Old Regular Baptist church, and that was one
of the things that got me into it—seeing him get older, and
knowing that when he went it was probably something he
was going to take with him.
GEORGE: History. Techniques. Old songs that might be lost
otherwise. I want to make sure that he knows all the old
songs that I learned when I was a boy, and all the techniques
and particularly the history of the banjo. Because,
the history of the banjo has been written by people from
outside the mountains. And they assume the banjo was a
mountain instrument. It wasn’t; it was a rural instrument.
There’s two different styles of learning: there’s imitation,
and there’s emulation. Now today, with the widely dispersed
community of old-time people, most people have
to learn by imitation. That is, they get a teacher, and they
learn exactly as the teacher plays. Bluegrassers do that.
They learn to play like Earl Scruggs played. But in the
mountains and in rural Kentucky, the banjo was a common
object. I mean, it was sitting in the corner of the cabin of a
lot of musical families. So, if someone wanted to play the
banjo, they picked it up, and they played it. There weren’t
any experts around to tell them how to do it. So there were
a lot of different styles. There was up picking, two-finger
picking, old-time three finger rolls and overhand, which
is what Kentuckians call the down-stroke style, which is
played at dances. And if you drop a thumb to pick an
interior string it’s called a drop-thumb. The terms clawhammer
and frailing were not heard in eastern Kentucky
until after about 1970. They have really very little meaning,
whereas earlier on Kentuckians had specific terms for
specific styles.
ED: So this apprenticeship, this Folklife Apprenticeship
grant, do you think it’s a worthwhile program
GEORGE: I certainly do.
JOHN: I think so. I think it’s really important. I think the grant
is a good way to make sure the music gets preserved and
not necessarily just by somebody from Frankfort. You get
to work with someone else from eastern Kentucky preserving
our own heritage rather than having someone else
coming and doing it. •
ED: So George, what have you been teaching him
Video: http://bit.ly/kacAR11GibsonHaywood
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Teacher Initiated Program Grant
The Teacher Initiated Program lets teachers collaborate with practicing, professional
artists on the design and implementation of innovative one- to fourweek
residencies. Residencies provide teachers with the tools to continue
to incorporate the arts into the curriculum after the residency is completed.
There were 39 Teacher Initiated Program grants awarded in FY2011, providing
102 weeks of artist residencies in 35 Kentucky schools.
Frankfort High School
Rachel Allen, Teacher
Melanie VanHouten, Artist
It was 5:30 in the afternoon, as I was scanning through my e-mails before
leaving the office for the day. And there it was—an invitation to attend the
dedication ceremony of a sculpture garden created by the students at Frankfort
High School with the assistance of a Teacher Initiated Program grant.
Thankfully, I saw it in time to make it over to the school for the event, which
started at 6:00.
When I got there people were going around to the different tree stumps
installed on the grounds of the school; some were just looking, others were
writing or drawing on them. The stumps were the remains of two massive
oak trees that had graced the lawn of Frankfort High for nearly 100 years.
Unfortunately, disease and old age had taken their toll on them, and they had
to be removed for safety reasons. The art teacher saw the opportunity to connect
the students, faculty, alumni and the community through this sculpture
garden. She asked Melanie Van Houten, a local sculptor and teaching artist
on the arts council’s Arts Education Roster, to come in and collaborate on
this project. During the course of the project, from concept through installation,
Allen kept a blog to document the process and the student’s learning.
State Rep. Derrick Graham, who also teaches history at Frankfort High, was
the main speaker at the dedication ceremony, and he had some very insightful
comments about the value of the arts in education.
Highlights of the comments made at the ceremony are recorded below.
Video
DERRICK GRAHAM: I want to touch upon something in terms of how important
the arts are. I think what we see today in the front yard of the school—two
things—we see the old matching the new and taking what was here for many
years and allowing the kids to be creative. Not only to really allow them to
show their creativity but also to reflect upon the past. Sometimes we forget
about how important the past is and how it sets the foundation for our future.
And I think this is a typical example of that; but, more importantly, it shows
the importance of art.
34

If you know anything about the arts, you know that math
and science have a way of interconnecting with the arts.
And those kids who are exposed to the arts seem to do
much better in terms of their performance in the academic
world. It bothers me a lot—not being political—but it
bothers me a lot in terms of the possibilities of programs
being cut that deal with the arts and humanities, because
it is an important part of who we are as a country, as a
Commonwealth and as a community.
To those of you who think the arts are important (most
of you in this crowd probably do) you ought to use your
influence to contact any member of the General Assembly
or any member of our congressional delegation to let
them know the importance of the National Endowment for
the Arts and the Kentucky Arts Council. The arts are an
integral part of who we are. And I think it is up to you as
individuals to contact those elected officials. If you do not
contact them, then we will see many cuts take place over
the next several years. And the only way we are going to
do that is to make sure we have programs like art, and
drama, and theater, and music, so the kids can use their
creativity to pursue their dreams and their ideas.
RACHEL ALLEN: I am the art teacher here; and when I saw
them start to cut down these trees, I was really sad. They
cut down one that was in the front area first, and they
went ahead and ground out that stump. And I was just
astonished at how empty and kind of barren it looked. I
could only imagine what was going to happen when they
cut the others down.
My first thought as an artist was, we need to do a sculpture
about this. But, I’m trained as a painter, and I draw and I
really don’t know much about sculpture at all. I took a few
classes in college but there was no way I was going to be
able to do anything with the wood. So I knew about the
Kentucky Arts Council and the Teacher Initiated Program
grant, where a teacher contacts an artist to work together.
And so I wanted to use a sculptor, and it turned out
that Melanie was a sculptor in town, which I really liked,
because I wanted to involve the community. Everybody
loved these trees. Everybody was really upset about them
when they were getting cut down. It wasn’t just a Frankfort
High thing; it was a Frankfort issue. It was a community
thing, so we really wanted to involve people from the community,
which we’ve done. I think the kids have done a
really great job. I hope you get to talk to them later.
MELANIE VAN HOUTEN: I’m the founder and artistic director
of Josephine Sculpture Park. I’m also a sculptor. I’m from
Frankfort, born here, lived here most of my life. I just got
on the Arts Ed Roster. I’d been on it about a year after
returning to Frankfort when Rachel contacted me. I was
thrilled to be a part of this project. The opportunity to be
involved in a project of this scale, working with students
and commemorating the trees and the loss of the trees,
was something that I was absolutely interested in, no
matter how much time it took.
And it took more time than we had anticipated, but that’s
in part due to the imaginations and the ambition of the
kids who worked on the project. From the very beginning,
the classes that were primarily involved with this really
drove the creative process. They worked collaboratively
better than any group that I’ve ever worked with. From the
beginning this idea of embracing the past, the present and
the future was a major driving force of the concept. They
also liked the idea that the trees could remain here, just
in a different form. So, the idea grew very big. It became
quite an ambitious project for us to undertake, theoretically,
in two weeks. But we didn’t want to say no, because
it was so great. We sort of envisioned, I think, one object
and it became—I don’t know how many there are. There’s
maybe 50 stumps that they decided to use. So that was
exciting, but it meant that we also had to pull in other
members of the community to help us pull this together.
And they were great!
The final piece of this thing is that we see this as a project
that has the potential to evolve over time, and that’s sort
of the present and the future. And so, the next phase of
it is that we would like to encourage everyone to put their
piece into the sculpture by writing their own memories on
the tree stumps; about this place, about south Frankfort,
about Frankfort High School. The students have begun
doing that, and as part of this ceremony we would like to
invite you all to do that as well. •
Blog: http://fhstip2011.wordpress.com
Video: http://bit.ly/kacAR11FrankfortHigh
35

Kentucky Arts Partnership Grant
The Kentucky Arts Partnership grant provides unrestricted operating support
to arts and cultural organizations to ensure that year-round participation in
the arts is available to the people of Kentucky. The amount funded is derived
from a formula based on the organization’s operating revenues, the panelists’
assessment of the application and the funds available for the program. There
were 93 Kentucky Arts Partnership grants awarded in FY2011, ranging from
$1,000 to $118,796, in rural and urban communities throughout the Commonwealth.
Montgomery County Council for the Arts
Cay Lane, Executive Director
Gateway Regional Arts Center
Mount Sterling, Ky.
As I drove into this small town in Kentucky, I noticed it has the period architecture
of a bluegrass town and a topography that suggests the mountains
are near. When I got to the top of a hill on Main Street, I could look down
and see the big yellow church on the left and the town’s cemetery at the
base of the hill. The big yellow church is the Gateway Regional Arts Center.
After years of fundraising, planning, renovation and volunteer work, the arts
center, operated by the Montgomery County Council for the Arts, serves as a
model for what can happen in a small rural community that believes in the
arts.
Cay welcomed me and was very generous with her time. She met me at the
main entrance, and gave me the grand tour. Cay and I decided to settle into
the Wilson Room for our interview, a decision largely based on the colorful
Kenyan art and the quiet atmosphere of the library.
ED: Thanks so much for showing me around the center. Why don’t you start
by telling us a little about the arts center and your arts organization
Video
CAY: We are the Montgomery County Council for the Arts, and we began in
1991. We were a very small handful of folks who, at the time, were distressed
over the fact that we had factories closing here, and the community was in
a very apathetic state. And we wanted to bring the arts in. We felt like the
arts were important for quality of life. So we pulled together and started the
arts council. The first thing we did was have a town meeting to discuss the
possibilities with our community. What would they like to have as far as arts
programming in Mount Sterling and Montgomery County Since then, we
have grown into an organization that has anywhere from 500 – 600 in membership.
We have an active board, we have a great advisory board and have
really increased our programming to where it covers all of the arts.
36

In 1997, we were in a little storefront across the street.
Our economic development director initiated the idea of
us having a gallery space down there. They were just renovating
that block. And for a small fee of renovation and five
years of free rent, we maintained the gallery for the arts
there for 10 years.
The Methodist Church, where we are now, built another
building out on the by-pass and vacated this historic
building downtown. And so, this building sat vacant for
two years. Within that time they were kind enough to let us
come in and try it. So, OK, would a play actually work in a
sanctuary and what about the classroom space Would it
work for us After doing three or four performances during
a year and trying it out, we decided, yes, this is what we
want to do. We wanted to develop an arts center for our
community, for Montgomery County, and we wanted to
work regionally. We saw that as a need. And from there we
bought this in 2002 and renovated for eight years—actually
fund-raised for eight years—and moved in a year-anda-half
ago.
ED: Mount Sterling is a pretty small community isn’t it
CAY: It is a small community. We have probably 6,500 in
Mount Sterling itself, about 24,000 in Montgomery County,
and then the surrounding counties have about 55,000 in
population. This area is primarily agricultural. It’s a very
rural area, and we do have some small factories, but it’s
still primarily an agricultural community that we serve.
ED: So what kind of arts programming do you do And I
imagine you also do community programming
CAY: We do. We work a lot with our community as far as
partnerships and bringing programs in. Of course we work
with the schools, too. We have two adult choruses, and
we have a children’s chorus that meets every year. We
have a summer playhouse, a summer stock program that
will be presenting its 16th camp. That’s for youth 7–12
years. We have a gallery space downstairs in which we
rotate out exhibits every month. So we have 12 exhibits
every year that come through that space. It’ll feature anything
from contemporary to traditional, three-dimensional
and two-dimensional. We have concerts that are anything
from classical to bluegrass to Broadway. We actually have
a cabaret that is coming up very soon. We just started this
year having workshops for children, and that’s gone fairly
well. And we have workshops for adults, so we have been
able to spread out a little bit in that way. We work with
the U.K. opera department, as an example, bringing opera
to the schools. We do an empty bowls project, where we
work with Morehead State University. And we just do a
variety of things, whether it be with our chamber, our tourism
office, everybody.
We’re very excited about a couple of things that are actually
going on today. We have a Tai Chi class that is open to
anybody who would like to come and learn that art form,
that form of relaxation. And then we also have an open
mic. Now this will be our first one. It has been put together
by our START 2 team, which is primarily made up of our
young adults. We’re trying to reach that age group of 21
– 35. So these are college and post-college students right
now that we’re working with. The START comes from a
grant that we received through the Kentucky Arts Council
to broaden and diversify our audiences. We originally had
a START 1 team, which worked with our African-American
audience and supporters to diversify our offerings. So,
both of those teams are working to create more programming
to broaden our audiences.
ED: So you’ve had a long relationship with the Kentucky
Arts Council, not only with various grants, but you’re also
a Kentucky Arts Partnership grantee. What has that meant
for the Montgomery County Council for the Arts
CAY: It’s why we are a success. We were struggling for
about a year and a half, and the Kentucky Arts Council
sent a staff person (Jean Perry) to take us by the hand,
basically, and lead us through grant writing so we could
get our very first grant. Then she also gave us direction
on how to become a credible nonprofit organization—all
those loops and hoops you have to go through to become
a 501(c)3. Since then, the Kentucky Arts Council has
been so very important to us, because it’s through them
that we get support. We also get advice. I feel like I can call
anytime and say, “Hey, I need help. Send me in a direction,
please!” So I always feel they have our organization’s
best interests at the forefront. And I also feel like they’ve
Video: http://bit.ly/kacAR11MCCA
37

got our back. If we need something they will help us figure
it out. So that’s been a big part of this partnership, and
that’s the reason we are a success, because we do have
that safety net of feeing like, “Yes, there is somebody we
can turn to who will help us.”
ED: I know you also get a lot of support from your community.
You want to tell us about that
CAY: I’d love to. We are very fortunate. We have a community
where the leaders understand that in order to have
a good quality of life in our community, the arts need to
be an important part of it. It’s not just because the arts are
nice to have, but it also makes an economic impact. Our
mayor and county judge use the arts as a way to bring in
industry and their families. You know, they want to relocate
to someplace that has arts, especially if they’re from
somewhere where they have already had exposure and
expectations of arts programming for their children. We
are also very fortunate to have some major donors and
businesses who support us. In fact, the owner of Ruth
Hunt Candy, Larry Kezele, is our project chairman for the
Gateway Arts Center renovations. Folks have been so willing
to give up their time as well as their resources to make
this dream happen. •
38

Promoting the Arts
As the state arts agency, The Kentucky Arts Council actively promotes the
arts through many exhibits, events and activities throughout the year. The
agency also partners with other entities to showcase the arts as a leading
tourism asset.
39

Made To Be Played: Traditional Art
of Kentucky Luthiers
This special exhibit features the art and traditions of Kentuckians who are
considered masters in the making and repairing of guitars, fiddles, banjos,
mandolins, dulcimers and other original stringed instruments. Made To Be
Played: Traditional Art of Kentucky Luthiers was first exhibited in 2007 at the
Kentucky Artisan Center in Berea and is the result of years of research and
fieldwork by the Kentucky Folklife Program. It has been on tour throughout
the Commonwealth ever since, reaching 30 different sites including arts
centers, history centers, businesses, conferences, libraries, museums, state
parks, festivals, colleges and universities.
The luthier exhibit was on display in FY2011 at the following locations:
Venue
Kentucky Center for Traditional Music
Hyden Citizens Bank
Greenbo Lake State Resort Park
The Kentucky Experience Pavilion at the
Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games
Eastern Kentucky University Crabbe Library
Clay County Public Library
Perry County Public Library
Cumberland Falls State Resort Park
Mountain Arts Center
Scott County Arts & Cultural Center
Behringer-Crawford Museum
Community
Morehead
Hyden
Greenup
Lexington
Richmond
Manchester
Hazard
Corbin
Prestonsburg
Georgetown
Covington
Made To Be Played: Traditional Art of Kentucky Luthiers was originally funded
through an American Masterpieces grant from the National Endowment for
the Arts.
Video
40
Web link: http://artscouncil.ky.gov/KentuckyArt/LuthierExhibit.htm
Video: http://bit.ly/kacAR11Luthier

Buyers Market of American Craft
The Kentucky Arts Council was the first state agency to sponsor a booth at
the Buyers Market of American Craft, which is staged in Baltimore in July
and Philadelphia in February. This is the largest wholesale trade show of its
kind, featuring exclusively American handmade art and fine craft. Buyers
represent galleries, museum shops, jewelry stores, luxury catalogs and boutiques
carrying original design fashion and accessories.
Kentucky’s exhibiting artists were chosen to participate after a triple selection
process. They first had to be accepted into the Kentucky Arts Council’s Kentucky
Crafted Program based on artistic excellence. They were then selected
to be a part of the Kentucky Crafted booth at the Buyers Market based on
market readiness. Finally, they were approved by the Buyers Market of American
Craft for quality. This rigorous process gives buyers the opportunity to
stock their shelves with the work of some of Kentucky’s most outstanding
craft artists.`
Artists exhibiting at the Baltimore market were:
Artist Business Community
Traci Cassilly Knitting Divas Louisville
Marvin Schnoll Red Oak Crafts Louisville
Jordan Stapp
K & M Crafts of
Kentucky
Campbellsville
Artists exhibiting at the Philadelphia market were:
Artist Business Community
Kelley and Bruce
Hoefer
Turning Wheel Pottery Berea
Pamela Mattei DyeSigns by Pamela Louisville
Hanns-Georg Reck
New World
Woodworking LLC
Louisville
Marvin Schnoll Red Oak Crafts Inc. Louisville
Jordan Stapp
K & M Crafts of
Kentucky
Campbellsville
Web link: http://www.buyersmarketofamericancraft.com/
41

Alltech FEI World
Equestrian Games
The Kentucky Arts Council’s presence at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian
Games raised the visibility of the arts and demonstrated the value of the
arts as a major tourism asset for the Commonwealth. During the course of
the games, Sept. 25–Oct. 10, 2010, the agency coordinated, produced or
sponsored a number of components to highlight the arts of Kentucky, including
a performing arts stage at the games, a visual and craft art fair at Spotlight
Lexington, fee support for performing artists at Spotlight Lexington and a
book featuring performing, visual and literary arts in all regions of Kentucky.
Welcoming Waters of Kentucky
First Lady Jane Beshear presided over the ceremonial welcoming
event, Welcoming Waters of Kentucky, uniting the
waters of Kentucky with water received from Aachen, Germany,
the host of the previous World Equestrian Games.
Water from rivers in each of nine tourism districts were carried
in vessels made by artists from each district. The arts
council coordinated the acquisition of the vessels, and they
remained on display during the course of the games in the
Kentucky Experience Pavilion.
Artists whose vessels were selected for the honor were:
Artist
Wayne Bates
Bill and Renee Bliznick
Robert Brigl
Page Candler
Jeff Enge and Sarah Culbreth
Matthew Gaddie
Lewis Newman with
David Appalachian Crafts
Larry Watson
June and Rayford Watts
Jennifer Zingg
River Region
Gathering vessel for all waters
Green River
Barren River
Cumberland River
Mississippi River
Kentucky River
Big Sandy River
Licking River
Rockcastle River
Salt River
42

Kentucky Experience
Guests from around the world enjoyed some of Kentucky’s best performing
arts as they visited the Kentucky Experience at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian
Games. During the course of the games, the arts council presented
72 performances by choral groups, orchestra groups, bands, solo performers,
duos, trios and theater troupes at the Kentucky Experience Pavilion or
in the courtyard.
The Kentucky Arts Council conducted an open call to Kentucky performing
artists and community and school groups to ensure that every Kentucky tourism
district was represented with high artistic quality. Artists were approved
by an independent panel of performing arts professionals with selection by
representatives of each tourism region.
The Kentucky Folklife Program presented the traveling exhibition Made To
Be Played: Traditional Art of Kentucky Luthiers in the Kentucky Experience
Pavilion, complete with an interactive musical instrument petting zoo.
Performers at the Kentucky Experience Pavilion included:
Performer
Advocate Brass Band
The Bats
Big Papa Mark Stampley
Blessid Union of Souls
Blue River Bluegrass Band
Bob and Susie Hutchison
Butch Rice
Coco Yam Band
Colin Grant-Adams
Countyline Bluegrass
Daniel and Amy Carwile
Danny Flanigan
Derby City Chorus
Diane Earle
Donna and Lewis Lamb
The Downtown County Band
EKU Brass
The Fabulous Moonglows
Community
Danville
Lexington
Louisville
Independence
Shepherdsville
Frankfort
Louisville
Louisville
Glasgow
Greenville
Lexington
Louisville
Louisville
Owensboro
Lancaster
Frankfort
Richmond
Louisville
Video
Web link: http://artscouncil.ky.gov/KyExperience/kyexperience_artistindex.htm
Video: http://bit.ly/kacAR11KYEXP
43

Performer
George McGee
Gospelway Bluegrass Singers
Greg Schaber
Hazel Johnson and David Foster
Heath Eric
Hills of Kentucky Dulcimers
Hog Operation
The James Family Band
Jerry Tolson Quintet
Jim Olive
Juggernaut Jug Band
The Kentuckians Barbershop Chorus
The Kentucky Historical Society Museum Theatre
Kimberly Carter and Carryin’ On
Kyle Meadows
Lauren Houston
Leigh Ann Yost
LeMay and Reese
Lexington Children’s Theatre
Lorinda Jones
The Louisville Chorus Ensemble
Louisville Orchestra String Quartet
Madison County Dulcimers
Michael Fogler
Mickey Clark and the Blue Norther
Mitch Barrett
Morehead State University Concert Choir and
Chamber Singers
One Shot Johnny
Osland/Dailey Jazztet
Paducah Symphony Orchestra String Quartet
Raison D’Etre
Rick Oldfield & Company
The Ridgewood Boys
Community
Georgetown
Walton
Alexandria
Horse Cave
Rumsey
Park Hills
Louisville
Corinth
Louisville
Lexington
Louisville
Louisville
Frankfort
Winchester
Highland Heights
Morning View
Louisville
Burnside
Lexington
Rineyville
Louisville
Louisville
Richmond
Lexington
Louisville
Berea
Morehead
Greensburg
Lexington
Paducah
Wilder
Mt. Sterling
Columbia
44

Performer
The Ritch Collins Three-O
Roger Cooper
Sarah Elizabeth Burkey
The Songfarmers
The Steven Foster Singers
Stirfry
The 23 String Band
Velveeta Jones Band
Virgil Bowlin
Warrior Poetes
Community
Ashland
Garrison
Kevil
Bowling Green
Bardstown
Frankfort
Louisville
Danville
London
Munfordville
Spotlight Lexington
The Kentucky Arts Council partnered with Lexington-Fayette County Urban
Government to coordinate and present an art fair in Triangle Park as part of
Spotlight Lexington. Spotlight Lexington provided three weekends of festival
atmosphere in downtown Lexington for residents and visitors alike during the
span of the World Equestrian Games.
Artists selected for the arts council’s Kentucky Crafted Program were invited
to exhibit and sell their work at the Kentucky Market of Spotlight Lexington.
The quality of work created by participants in the program gave visitors from
across the globe an opportunity to bring home the very finest art and craft
in Kentucky.
Kentucky Crafted artists represented at Spotlight Lexington were:
Artist Business Community
Jamie Taylor Abby Glen Designs Louisville
Kristal Kokinda Alley Cat Pottery Richmond
James Williams Anew Backyard Elizabethtown
Ann Klem Ann Klem Reflections Fisherville
Jan Treesh Bountiful Baskets by Jan Lexington
Carole Gordon Carole Gordon Watercolors Utica
Dennis Jackson Creations Lexington
Erica Kirchner Creature Comforts by Erica Prospect
David Appalachian
Crafts
David Appalachian Crafts David
Video
Video: http://bit.ly/kacAR11SpotLex
45

Artist Business Community
Gail Cohen Gail Cohen Designs Lexington
Gary Bertram Gary Bertram Art LLC Georgetown
Jeffrey and Henrietta
Scott
Highland Raku Studio Columbia
Jamison Brumm Jamison Brumm Monticello
Justine Dennis Justine Dennis New Haven
Jordan Stapp K & M Crafts of Kentucky Campbellsville
Judy Kushner Judy Kushner Art Designs Georgetown
Mary Dennis Kannapell Kannapell Art & Design Prospect
Laura George Lynch Laura George Lynch Louisville
Madonna G. Cash Baskets by Madonna Louisville
Maiken Ischiel Young Maiken Ischiel Young Bedford
Marianne Brown Marianne Brown Pottery Lawrenceburg
Mary B. Noelker Mary Noelker Lampwork Beads Danville
Josephine Lamb
Williams
Mayapple Creations
Lexington
Marianna McDonald McDonald Fine Art Lexington
Jeanine Moneypenny Moss Hill Louisville
David Berger Olde Master Originals LLC Crestwood
Melissa Senetar PhbeaD Paint Lick
Scot Kellersberger Phoenix Creative Metal Art Salvisa
Paula Canant Red Hot Design Owensboro
Michael Shambro ShambroLa Wood Art Lexington
Kathy Werking SoapWerks Midway
Amelia Stamps Stamps Pottery Lexington
Theresa Jean Kibby Theresa Jean Kibby Somerset
Jama Watts These Precious Things Lebanon
Harriet Giles The Weavery Lexington
Steve White The White Gallery Maysville
Trent Altman Trent’s Studio Louisville
Wesley Page Wesley Page Fine Woodcrafts Glasgow
Luann Vermillion Wildflowers by Luann Whitesburg
Lonnie Combs Wooden Crafts Fisherville
46

Additionally, the Kentucky Arts Council provided fee support for Performing
Arts Directory artists who performed on Spotlight Lexington stages:
Artist
Carla Van Hoose
Central Kentucky Youth Orchestra
Juggernaut Jug Band
Lexington Children’s Theatre
Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra
Kentucky Ballet Theatre
No Tools Loaned
Reel World String Band
River City Drum Corps
Stirfry
Community
Lexington
Lexington
Louisville
Lexington
Lexington
Lexington
Frankfort
Lexington
Louisville
Frankfort
Discover Art in Kentucky
In anticipation of the 60,000 visitors to the Alltech FEI World
Equestrian Games, the Kentucky Arts Council produced
“Discover Art in Kentucky.” The 180-page arts and cultural
guidebook features art destinations in every region of Kentucky:
galleries, museums, independent booksellers and
performance venues for dance, theater and music. The arts
organizations and businesses listed are partners with the arts
council or promote the work of artists associated with the
agency’s arts marketing programs. As a special bonus, the
book brings attention to the work of acclaimed literary figures
with significant ties to the Commonwealth.
“Discover Art in Kentucky” was distributed at the Kentucky
Experience Pavilion and in Lexington hotels during the
games. It continues to be available through the arts council and at Kentucky
welcome centers, state parks, local tourism offices, chambers of commerce,
national conferences, libraries and arts attractions throughout Kentucky.
Web link: http://artscouncil.ky.gov/Resources/pdf/DiscoverArtinKentucky.pdf
47

Governor’s Awards in the Arts
On October 28, 2010, Governor Steven L. Beshear presented the 2010 Governor’s
Awards in the Arts in the Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort. The Commonwealth’s
most prestigious arts awards annually honor Kentucky individuals,
businesses and organizations that make significant contributions to
the arts in the state. Video tributes for each of the winners are available at
http://artscouncil.ky.gov/KentuckyArt/GovAward2010.htm
The 2010 Governor’s Awards in the Arts were presented to:
Award Recipient Community
Artist Award Stephen Rolfe Powell Danville
Business Award Hilliard Lyons Louisville
Community Arts Award
Mayfield/Graves County
Art Guild
Mayfield
Education Award Melanie Wood Louisville
Folk Heritage Award Loyal Jones Berea
Government Award Mountain Arts Center Prestonsburg
Media Award Rich Copley Lexington
Milner Award Al Shands Crestwood
National Award Annie Potts Franklin
Each recipient received a mixed media relief sculpture entitled “Faith,” created
by LaVon Van Williams Jr. of Lexington.
The Kentucky Arts Council coordinated the nomination and selection process,
with nominations being sought from the public. Gov. Beshear selected
the recipients based on recommendations from the Governor’s Awards in
the Arts committee. The arts council also commissioned the artwork for the
awards and hosted the presentation ceremony and public reception.
Kentucky On Stage
Video
Performing artists and ensembles featured in the arts council’s Performing
Arts Directory and presenters from across the Commonwealth came together
for the 12th annual Kentucky on Stage, Dec. 8–9, 2010, at The Clifton Center
in Louisville.
Kentucky on Stage is primarily a showcase and professional development
opportunity for performing arts presenters and others who stage live music,
48
Web link: http://artscouncil.ky.gov/KentuckyArt/GovAward2010.htm
Video: http://bit.ly/kacAR11GAA

dance and theater performances. Presenters had the opportunity to experience
samplings of the artists’ work, talk with artists and book performance
dates.
Sandra Gibson, CEO and president of the Association for Performing Arts
Presenters (APAP) in Washington, D.C., led the plenary session—Arts Presenting
and the New Realities—which examined contemporary challenges
that confront the performing arts. Gibson offered survival strategies and
spoke of the value of reimagining organizations in the new environment.
Artists selected to showcase their talents were:
Performer Discipline Community
Appalatin World music Louisville
Angela Bartley Theater Louisville
Virgil Bowlin Appalachian London
The Chattering Magpies Celtic and Appalachian Rineyville
Coco Yam Band World music Louisville
Diana Dinicola Flamenco dance Louisville
Divas and Dogs Specialty Louisville
The Downtown County
Band
Old time
Frankfort
Heath Eric Singer/songwriter Rumsey
Shuling Fister
Chinese traditional and
folk dance
Lexington
Richard Goering Classical guitar Fort Mitchell
Hog Operation Bluegrass Louisville
Juggernaut Jug Band Jug band music Louisville
Keltricity
Contemporary and
traditional Celtic
Louisville
Kentucky Baroque
Trumpets
Baroque trumpet Raywick
Kyle Meadows Hammer dulcimer Cold Spring
Roadside Theater Theater Whitesburg
Octavia Sexton Storytelling Orlando
Stirfry Gypsy jazz Frankfort
Mariya Tarakanova and
FlamencoTalk
Flamenco dance Louisville
Robert Tincher Celtic Lexington
Videos
Videos: http://bit.ly/kacAR11KOS
49

Give a Gift from Kentucky
Gov. Steve Beshear proclaimed December 2010 as “Give a Gift from Kentucky
Month.” The Kentucky Arts Council joined First Lady Jane Beshear
along with regional artists and state and local officials, in kicking off the campaign
on Nov. 22 at the Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea.
Kentucky Crafted Gift Ideas
In conjunction with the campaign, the arts council developed an online
catalog, Kentucky Crafted Gift Ideas, featuring art and handmade items by
18 artists who have been adjudicated into the Kentucky Crafted Program.
Kentucky Visions at the Capitol
The Kentucky Arts Council presented Kentucky Visions at the Capitol, showcasing
the artwork of 39 artists in the halls, reception areas and conference
rooms of Senate and House offices in the Capitol Annex in Frankfort. Artists
invited to participate were adjudicated members of the arts council’s Kentucky
Crafted Program or artists who have received an Al Smith Individual
Artist Fellowship Award or Governor’s Award in the Arts.
The 95 pieces of artwork on display during this legislative session included
paintings, mixed-media work, photographs, sculpture and ceramics. All
works were for sale.
Participating artists were:
Artist Medium Community
Dobree Adams Photography Frankfort
Matthew Albritton Photography Dayton
Trent Altman Acrylic; Mixed media Louisville
Philis Alvic Weaving Lexington
Don Ament Photography Lexington
David Bartlett Photography Morehead
Patricia Brock Photography Louisville
Marianne Brown Clay Lawrenceburg
Ken Buck Watercolor; Mixed media Highland Heights
Jim Cantrell Watercolor; Oil Bardstown
Paula Clark Acrylic Versailles
Diana Colgate Soft pastel Shepherdsville
Bruce Frank Photography Georgetown
50
Web link: http://bit.ly/KAC2010gift

Artist Medium Community
Sarah Frederick Handmade paper Louisville
Linda Fugate-Blumer Photography Lexington
Timothy Gold Acrylic Independence
Debbie Graviss Pastel Versailles
Jo Ann Grimes Fiber Berea
Elsie Harris Acrylic Lexington
Christopher Hill Mixed media Louisville
Rebecca Cathleen Hill Acrylic Louisville
Christine Kuhn Mixed media Lexington
Catherine Logsdon Acrylic Lakeside Park
John McGrath Oil Lexington
Gary Mesa-Gaido Photography Morehead
Gretchen Papka Mixed media Versailles
Raymond Papka Mixed media Versailles
Esther Randall Photography Berea
Judy Rosati Photography Louisville
Reba Rye Photography Lockport
Arturo Sandoval Serigraph Lexington
Randy Simmons Intaglio; Photography Paducah
Karen Spears Springate Oil Lexington
Sheldon Tapley Oil; Pastel Danville
David Toczko Photography Elizabethtown
Ralph Tyree Photography Winchester
Jacob van der Oort Photography Frankfort
Mark Whitley Wood Smiths Grove
Caroline Zama Clay Louisville
Video
Video: http://bit.ly/kacAR11KV
51

National Symphony Orchestra
Kentucky Residency
The Kentucky Arts Council was the in-state partner for the National Symphony
Orchestra (NSO) 2011 American Residency in Kentucky Feb. 17–25,
2011. During the visit, the orchestra performed major concerts in each of
Kentucky’s six congressional districts: in Louisville, Florence, Owensboro,
Paducah, Lexington and Somerset. Additionally, members of the orchestra
traveled to 35 Kentucky communities to participate in more than 130 educational,
outreach and performance activities in 66 venues.
The activities included chamber music performances; pre-concert lectures;
school assemblies; community performances in libraries, churches and
nursing homes; “Teddy Bear” concerts for preschoolers and their parents;
artistic exchanges with Kentucky musicians; “Connections” workshops in
schools linking music to the science curriculum; workshops for teachers;
arts education roundtable discussions; arts advocacy training sessions; sectionals
coaching; clinics; and master classes.
As in-state partner, the arts council coordinated the requests for outreach
activities, assisted in scheduling and logistics and provided promotional support
for the residency.
The agency also sponsored an arts advocacy forum at Lexington’s Lyric Theatre
with Hugh Wolff, NSO residency conductor, and Rita Shapiro, NSO
executive director, leading the discussion, followed by a question and idea
session.
Additional components of the American Residency included selection of
three Kentucky students to participate in the NSO National Trustees’ Summer
Music Institute and an NSO Music Teacher Fellowship given to a Kentucky
teacher.
Theo Lineberry and Jackie Royce from Louisville and Jessie Zhu of Lexington
were selected to attend the four-week Summer Music Institute in Washington,
D.C., with all expenses paid by the NSO. The aspiring musicians
received intensive coaching; private lessons; seminars on public speaking;
instruction in practicing and ensemble skills; side-by-side rehearsals with the
NSO; and performance opportunities at the John F. Kennedy Center for the
Performing Arts.
Video
Thomas Mueller, the director of bands at Camp Ernst Middle School, Burlington,
Ky., received the Music Teacher Fellowship. The four-week program
involved working with the NSO education staff to plan instructional activities
focusing on Mueller’s chosen areas of interest. He was awarded a cash stipend
and had all expenses paid, including travel to and from Washington,
D.C.
52
Web link: http://bit.ly/NSOsched
Video: http://bit.ly/kacAR11NSO

The National Symphony Orchestra American Residencies is a national initiative
encompassing the elements of education, outreach and chamber and
orchestral performances. American Residencies are sponsored in part by
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts through a grant from the
U.S. Department of Education. Duke Energy was the supporting sponsor of
the 2011 NSO Kentucky Residency. Chamber music concerts and outreach
activities were supported in part by generous contributors to The Kennedy
Center Abe Fortas Memorial Fund for Chamber Music and by a major gift to
the fund from the late Carolyn E. Agger, widow of Abe Fortas.
Arts Day in Kentucky
The Kentucky Arts Council hosted a full schedule of activities to celebrate
and acknowledge the importance of the arts on Feb. 22, 2011, in Frankfort.
Arts leaders and advocates came from across the Commonwealth to meet
with their legislators, network with each other and participate in the day’s
activities.
The day kicked off with the announcement of a new specialty license plate
to benefit arts and cultural organizations in Kentucky. The “Experience the
Arts!” plate, designed by Louisville artist Jeaneen Barnhart, was unveiled
by Marcheta Sparrow, secretary, Tourism Arts and Heritage Cabinet; Lindy
Casebier, deputy secretary, Tourism Arts and Heritage Cabinet; Lori Meadows,
executive director, Kentucky Arts Council; and Wilma Brown, board
chair, Kentucky Foundation for the Arts. The plates go into production once
the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has received 900 applications.
Representatives of art and cultural organizations receiving operational support
through the arts council’s Kentucky Arts Partnership grant program had
their photos taken at the Capitol as their legislators presented them with ceremonial
checks. The photos were released to the organizations’ local media
to bring greater awareness of public support for the arts.
The recipients of the 2010 Governor’s Awards in the Arts were introduced
in the Senate chamber and were presented citations in recognition of their
outstanding contributions to Kentucky through the arts.
In the afternoon, education directors from Kentucky Arts Partnership organizations
and artists on the arts council’s Arts Education Roster met to discuss
education updates and build relationships between teaching artists and arts
organization administrators.
Video
Web link: http://artscouncil.ky.gov/KentuckyArt/ArtsDay2011.htm
Video: http://bit.ly/kacAR11ARTSDAY
53

The highlight of the Arts Day in Kentucky evening reception at the Thomas
D. Clark Center for Kentucky History was a concert with performances by a
National Symphony Orchestra violin chamber group and NSO violinist Glenn
Donnellan playing the batolin, an instrument he created from a Louisville
Slugger bat. Orchestra members stayed after their performances to meet and
talk with reception guests.
Poetry Out Loud
Poetry Out Loud is a national program that encourages high school students
to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance and competition,
presented by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Poetry Foundation
and state arts agencies.
On March 8, 2011, Torie DiMartile, a senior at Beechwood High School, Fort
Mitchell, emerged as the winner among the 21 high school champions from
across the Commonwealth who competed in the sixth annual Poetry Out
Loud state finals in Frankfort. DiMartile was the state’s second place winner
in 2010 and 2009. DeMartile received $200 plus an all-expenses-paid trip
to Washington, D.C., to compete in the Poetry Out Loud National Recitation
Contest. Her high school also received $500 for the purchase of poetry books
for its library.
DiMartile won second place at the national contest and received a $10,000
scholarship. Kentucky state champions have been national finalists in five of
the six years of the program.
Tyler Poteet, a senior at Butler Traditional High School, Louisville, was named
second place winner at the state competition. He received a $100 cash prize
and $200 for his school to purchase poetry books.
Poetry Out Loud high school champions were:
Student High School County
Kayla Wilson
Allen County/Scottsville
High School
Allen
Brittany Skidmore Bell County High School Bell
Candice Lewis Pineville High School Bell
Lissy Rigsby Boyd County High School Boyd
Randall S. Turner Jackson City School Breathitt
54

Student High School County
Zachary Milford
Paul Lawrence Dunbar
High School
Fayette
Kaitlyn Luyster Western Hills High School Franklin
Kaytee Holtman Grant County High School Grant
Jesse Hubbard Harlan County High School Harlan
James Rogers Hart County High School Hart
Tyler Poteet Butler Traditional High School Jefferson
Dane Mendelsohn Ballard High School Jefferson
Torie DiMartile Beechwood High School Kenton
Ethan Gibson Leslie County High School Leslie
Sierra Kiser Jenkins Independent School Letcher
Keilyn Wargo Lone Oak High School McCracken
Michael Cotten Mercer County High School Mercer
Kesia Casey Ohio County High School Ohio
Jared Auton Pikeville High School Pike
Christopher Louis
Bradley Thomas
Russell County High School Russell
Lauren May Greenwood High School Warren
Literary, storytelling and theater artists selected from the arts council’s Arts
Education Roster coached students at each school leading up to the school
contests. The teaching artists were: Mitch Barrett, Charlie Bissell, Beth
Dotson Brown, Cynthia Changaris, Kathi Ellis, Trina Fischer, Thomas Freese,
Mary Hamilton, Pam Holcomb, Darla Jackson, Katherine Mapother, Susan
Pope, Octavia Sexton, Judy Sizemore and Shannon Woolley.
Competing students and their school supporters were able to travel to Frankfort
as a result of a transportation grant from the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation
awarded to the Kentucky Arts Council.
Kentucky poets Frederick Smock, Bianca Spriggs and Lisa Williams served
as judges for the state finals.
Video
Web link: http://artscouncil.ky.gov/KentuckyArt/POL_state2011.htm
Video: http://bit.ly/kacAR11POL
55

Kentucky Crafted: The Market
The Kentucky Arts Council produced Kentucky Crafted: The Market, which
was voted best arts festival in the nation by the readers of AmericanStyle
magazine for the second year in a row. The four-day art marketplace at the
Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville was both a wholesale trade show
and a retail art fair.
Kentucky Crafted: The Market offered buyers from galleries, shops, catalogs
and online retail venues across the nation the opportunity to select products
from more than 200 exhibitors of fine art and craft, books, CDs, DVDs and
specialty foods. The Market was open exclusively to the trade on March 17
and 18.
On March 19 and 20, the marketplace opened to the public. In addition to
shopping for fine art and craft, visitors enjoyed musical performances, sampled
regional food products, attended workshops, met Kentucky authors and
explored Kentucky traditions through special exhibits.
Exhibitors were primarily artists whose work had been accepted into the arts
council’s Kentucky Crafted Program. Guest exhibitors included specialty
food producers from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Kentucky
Proud program, authors and publishers accepted by the Kentucky Book Fair
and artists who have met the quality standards of regional craft and artisan
food programs. The 2011 show included artists from Best of Missouri Hands,
Georgia Made Georgia Grown, Indiana Artisan, Ohio Designer Craftsmen,
West Virginia’s Tamarack and the Southern Highlands Craft Guild.
Visitors were treated to live performances during wholesale and retails days
by artists who had been accepted into the arts council’s Performing Arts
Directory. Entertainment spanned from bluegrass to world music on the performance
stage with larger-than-life puppets roaming the aisles for photo
opportunities.
Video
The arts council presented a series of workshops for professional and emerging
artists on a wide range of topics at The Market. The business workshops
focused on Internet marketing, copyright protection, finding audiences,
pricing and making digital music products. The literary activities produced
in partnership with Lexington’s Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning
included writing workshops led by Kathleen Driskell, Mary Ann Taylor-Hall
and Leatha Kendrick. There was also a panel discussion on publishing with
University Press of Kentucky, Larkspur Press and Sarabande Books represented.
A special exhibit to introduce the new Architectural Artists Directory was
prominently positioned at The Market. Artists accepted into the program
56
Web link: http://artscouncil.ky.gov/KentuckyArt/Event_Market.htm
Video: http://bit.ly/kacAR11KCTM

displayed samples or photos of their large-scale work, and the new directory
was distributed to potential clients, homebuilders, architects and interior
designers.
The Kentucky Folklife Program presented master traditional artists and their
apprentices, including fiddlers, banjo players and basketmakers. Folklife
Program Director Bob Gates presented a foodways stage highlighting the
regional food producers at The Market.
The 2011 Kentucky Crafted: The Market was attended by buyers representing
239 retail venues from 15 states. Total wholesale sales were reported at
$305,421. On the public days, there were 6,651 visitors with total retail sales
reported at $358,084. The estimated total sales figure, determined from the
average sales of reporting exhibitors multiplied by the number of exhibitors,
was $748,505.
Each year, Kentucky Crafted: The Market gives special recognition to exhibitors
and buyers who contribute to the success of the show and the Kentucky
Crafted brand. The 2011 award winners were:
Award Business Community
Top Kentucky Retailer Promenade Gallery Berea, Ky.
Top Out-of-State Retailer Indigenous Cincinnati, Ohio
Best of Show – Exhibitor
Mark Whitley Limited
Edition Furniture
Smiths Grove, Ky.
Best Overall Booth
Design
Kopperwood
Asheville, N.C.
Best New Kentucky
Exhibitor
Larkspur Press
Owenton, Ky.
Best New Out-of-State
Exhibitor
Bubba Knives
Cleveland, Ga.
Exhibitor’s Choice –
Best Booth Design
Fire on the Ridge Farm Brooksville, Ky.
Excellence in
Accessibility
Wesley Page Woodworks Glasgow, Ky.
57

Kentucky Writers’ Day and
Poet Laureate Induction
The Kentucky Arts Council celebrated Kentucky Writers’ Day on April 25,
2011, in the Capitol Rotunda. The event featured the induction of Maureen
Morehead as Kentucky Poet Laureate for the 2011-2012 term. There were
also readings by former Kentucky poets laureate; recognition given to Al
Smith Fellowship Award recipients; recitation of poems by Poetry Out Loud
state finalist Tyler Poteet; and a special reception honoring Kentucky writers.
Morehead was appointed to the honorary post by Gov. Steve Beshear to promote
the literary arts in Kentucky through readings and public presentations
at meetings, seminars, conferences and events, including Kentucky Writers’
Day. The arts council coordinated the nomination and selection process for
recommendation to the governor.
Morehead is on the poetry faculty of Spalding University’s brief-residency
MFA Program in Writing and is a retired school teacher with 32 years of
service with the Jefferson County public schools. She also taught at the University
of Louisville and Western Kentucky University and was on the faculty
of the Kentucky Institute for the Arts in Education. She has published three
books of poetry: “In a Yellow Room” (Sulgrave Press, 1990), “A Sense of
Time Left” (Larkspur Press, 2003) and “The Melancholy Teacher” (Larkspur
Press, 2010) and co-authored “Our Brothers’ War” (Sulgrave Press, 1993).
Morehead’s poems have also appeared in many nationally esteemed literary
journals and anthologies.
Morehead earned a Ph.D. in English, with a creative writing dissertation,
from the University of Louisville; an M.A. in English, also from the University
of Louisville; and a B.A. in English from Western Kentucky University.
Governor’s Derby Celebration
The Kentucky Arts Council assists with many parts of the Governor’s Derby Celebration,
an annual event attracting visitors and residents alike to the capital.
On the morning of the Derby, May 7, 2011, downtown Frankfort came alive
with music, games, food and crafts, creating a festival atmosphere for all to
enjoy.
Videos
The Governor’s Derby Exhibit
The artwork of artists from across the Commonwealth was displayed in the
Governor’s Derby Exhibit, April 1–May 10, 2011, in the Capitol Rotunda. The
spring-themed show of paintings, lithographs, mixed-media works and pho-
58
Web link: http://artscouncil.ky.gov/KentuckyArt/WritersDay_about.htm
Videos: http://bit.ly/kacAR11KWD

tographs was coordinated by the arts council on behalf of Gov. Steve Beshear
and First Lady Jane Beshear.
Mrs. Beshear held a media event on April 6 to officially open the exhibit and
personally thank the artists whose work was selected. Reba Rye served as
the independent juror for the exhibit. Rye is an assistant professor at Kentucky
State University.
Artists selected to participate were:
Artist Medium Community
Dobree Adams Archival inkjet print Frankfort
Karen Carey Oil Stamping Ground
Jeff Chapman-Crane Egg tempera Eolia
Darlene Dine Oil LaGrange
Char Downs Mixed media Paducah
Robert Franzini Crayonstone lithograph Morehead
Ellen Glasgow Oil Frankfort
Kurt Gohde and
Kremena Todorova
Digital photography Lexington
Bill Guffey Oil Burkesville
Darryl Halbrooks Mixed media Richmond
Sally Clay Lanham Watercolor Frankfort
BiLan Liao Acrylic Paducah
Betty Liles Acrylic Hopkinsville
Ken Page Acrylic on birch Villa Hills
Salina Ramsay Oil Lexington
Walt Roycraft Photography Nicholasville
Cassandra Russell Oil Louisville
Michael Shambro Wood Lexington
Cathy Shepherd Acrylic Louisville
David Toczko Photography Elizabethtown
Teresa Tope Photography Richmond
Angela Wells Acrylic Louisville
Frances Wells Oil Murray
Bruce Wess Photography Petersburg
Brenda Wirth Digital photography Louisville
Video
Video: http://bit.ly/kacAR11GDE
59

The “Horse Blankets” at the Governor’s Derby Celebration
As the preparations were made for the Governor’s Derby Celebration in downtown
Frankfort, one of the final touches was the tablecloths for the picnic
tables. Each picnic table on the Old State Capitol grounds was designed like
a horse and covered with a “blanket” painted by school children of all ages
from across the Commonwealth.
The Kentucky Arts Council invited Kentucky schools to participate in this
canvas painting project for the Derby celebration on behalf of the Governor
and the First Lady.
Participating schools were:
School
County
BCMS/BCHS Gifted Education Boyd
Boyd County Middle School Boyd
Boyd County High School Boyd
Cannonsburg Elementary School Boyd
Central City Elementary School Muhlenberg
Central Elementary School Johnson
Dunn Elementary School Jefferson
East Hardin Middle School Hardin
Eastside Elementary School Harrison
Glendover Elementary School Fayette
Jennie Rogers Elementary School Boyle
Poage Elementary School Boyd
Russell Primary School Greenup
Tates Creek High School Fayette
Washington County Schools Washington
West Whitesburg Elementary School Letcher
Video
60
Video: http://bit.ly/kacAR11HorseBlankets

Kentucky Crafted at the Governor’s Derby Celebration
Artists accepted into the arts council’s Kentucky Crafted Program were the
only artisans invited to sell their wares at the Governor’s Derby Celebration. A
special tent on the Old State Capitol was open for business on Derby morning
offering jewelry, mixed-media artwork, paintings, basketry, pottery, woodwork
and much more.
Participating artists were:
Artist Business Community
T. R. Williams
apGwilym - Thomas R.
Williams
Paris
Eugene King Appalachian Mountain Crafts Pikeville
Sandra Rinkel and
Madonna Cash
Baskets by Madonna Louisville
Cynthia Riffe
Bluegrass Handmade
Designs
Scottsville
Charles Crenshaw Bourbon Baskets Bloomfield
Gary Bertram Gary Bertram Art LLC Georgetown
Christopher and
Cathy Hill
Hill’s of Kentucky
Louisville
Jeannette Rowlett Jeanette’s Jewelry Berea
Jordan Stapp K & M Crafts of Kentucky Campbellsville
James and Deborah
Greene
Life Celebrations Art Design
Studio
LaGrange
Fred and Peggy Spoon Pens to Remember Columbia
Steve Flinchum
Shadoway Expressions in
Wood
Elk Horn
Mick and Debbie
Shambro
ShambroLa Wood Art Lexington
Bruce and Kelley
Hoefer
Turning Wheel Pottery Berea
Joe Offerman Woodcarvings by Offerman Owensboro
61

Al Smith Fellowship Viewing
Applicants for the Kentucky Arts Council’s Al Smith Individual Artist Fellowship
Awards had images of their work shown on May 24 at the Ursuline Arts
Center in Louisville.
The public viewing of the 92 applicants’ work preceded the panel review for
selection of the award recipients in visual arts and media arts for FY2012.
It offered art consultants, artist representatives, gallery owners, curators and
art collectors an opportunity to see the breadth of talent in the state. It also
helped artists and art students who may be interested in applying for the
award in the future to see a current survey of Kentucky artwork.
Cultural Districts Certification
Announcement
On May 31, Gov. Beshear announced the establishment
of a statewide cultural district certification program,
which is administered through the Kentucky
Arts Council. The agency accepted applications from
communities of all sizes and demographics for cultural
district certification, with the intention of announcing
the certified districts later in 2011.
The program was developed to encourage community
engagement and partnerships that facilitate the stimulation
and promotion of local cultural, economic, community
and social assets.
Gov. Steve Beshear and Marcheta Sparrow,
secretary of the Tourism, Arts and Heritage
Cabinet, announce the Cultural Districts
Cerfitication program.
Video
These well-recognized, labeled, mixed-use areas of a
community featuring a high concentration of cultural amenities attract local
residents and visitors alike. More than 100 cities in the United States have
planned or implemented cultural districts — positioning the arts and culture
as the center of revitalization efforts.
It is anticipated that cultural districts approved for the certification will benefit
from increased tourism marketing and economic activity as a result of being
part of a branded program with a statewide emphasis. Certified cultural
districts committee members will receive training and professional development;
technical assistance from partner state agencies and national experts
in the field of arts and cultural economy; information regarding grant and
incentive opportunities; and assistance with planning signature events (such
as gallery hops, downtown open houses and festivals).
62
Governor’s “About Kentucky” commentary (6/17/11): http://bit.ly/kacAR11CD
Video of press conference: http://youtu.be/A_zc37dO-MA

By June 30, 2011, 43 communities had expressed an intention to apply for
the program. Successful applicants will have a well-developed inventory of
cultural assets, sound planning strategies, community support and evidence
of potential collaborations and sustainability.
63

Grants and Awards
The following table includes all grants awarded by the Kentucky Arts Council
during FY2011. Every public dollar is invested to create opportunities for the
people of Kentucky to value, participate in and benefit from the arts.
65

County Applicant Program Award
ALLEN Allen County/Scottsville High School Poetry Out Loud $2,661
BARREN Austin Tracy Elementary Teacher Initiated Program $1,620
BELL Bell County High School Poetry Out Loud $1,259
BELL Pineville High School Poetry Out Loud $1,330
BOYD Arts Council of Northeastern Kentucky Kentucky Arts Partnership $1,000
BOYD Paramount Arts Center Kentucky Arts Partnership $56,053
BOYD Boyd County High School Poetry Out Loud $1,252
BOYLE Lisa Williams Al Smith Fellowship Award – Poetry $7,500
BOYLE Arts Commission of Danville/Boyle County Kentucky Arts Partnership $1,000
BOYLE Community Arts Center Kentucky Arts Partnership $8,580
BOYLE Jennie Rogers Elementary Teacher Initiated Program $1,080
BREATHITT Jackson City School Poetry Out Loud $449
BULLITT Bullitt Central High School Teacher Initiated Program $540
BUTLER North Butler Elementary Teacher Initiated Program $1,620
CALLOWAY Murray Art Guild Kentucky Arts Partnership $2,351
CALLOWAY Playhouse in the Park Kentucky Arts Partnership $3,680
CAMPBELL Kentucky Symphony Orchestra Kentucky Arts Partnership $21,011
CAMPBELL Kentucky Symphony Orchestra Partnership Grant – NSO $1,000
CHRISTIAN Pennyroyal Arts Council Kentucky Arts Partnership $8,985
CHRISTIAN Pennyroyal Arts Council
Kentucky Peer Advisory Network
Consultancy
$400
CLARK Leeds Center for the Arts Kentucky Arts Partnership $2,581
CLAY Anne Shelby Folk Arts Apprenticeship $3,000
CLAY Clay County Middle School Teacher Initiated Program $1,620
CRITTENDEN Fohs Hall Community Arts Foundation Kentucky Arts Partnership $2,125
CUMBERLAND Cumberland County Middle School Teacher Initiated Program $1,080
DAVIESS International Bluegrass Music Museum Interim – Documentary Film $5,000
DAVIESS International Bluegrass Music Museum Kentucky Arts Partnership $21,744
DAVIESS Owensboro Dance Theatre Kentucky Arts Partnership $5,547
DAVIESS Owensboro Museum of Fine Art Kentucky Arts Partnership $32,036
DAVIESS Owensboro Symphony Orchestra Kentucky Arts Partnership $25,460
DAVIESS RiverPark Center Kentucky Arts Partnership $54,384
DAVIESS Theatre Workshop of Owensboro Kentucky Arts Partnership $6,399
66

County Applicant Program Award
DAVIESS Owensboro Dance Theatre
Kentucky Peer Advisory Network
Consultancy
$400
DAVIESS RiverPark Center Partnership Grant – NSO $1,000
ESTILL Estill County Middle School Teacher Initiated Program $1,080
ESTILL Estill County Middle School Teacher Initiated Program $1,620
ESTILL Estill Springs Elementary Teacher Initiated Program $2,160
ESTILL West Irvine Elementary Teacher Initiated Program $1,620
FAYETTE Norbe Risco
Al Smith Fellowship Award –
Choreography
$7,500
FAYETTE Dan Bernitt
Al Smith Fellowship Award –
Playwriting
$7,500
FAYETTE Art Mize Folk Arts Apprenticeship $3,000
FAYETTE WRFL Radio Interim – Boomslang Festival $3,750
FAYETTE Chamber Music Festival of Lexington Interim – Chamber Music Festival $4,000
FAYETTE Hospice of the Bluegrass
Interim – Flight 5191 Memorial
Ceremony
$1,000
FAYETTE Actors Guild of Lexington Kentucky Arts Partnership $13,449
FAYETTE Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning Kentucky Arts Partnership $13,326
FAYETTE Central Kentucky Youth Orchestras Kentucky Arts Partnership $9,444
FAYETTE Explorium of Lexington Kentucky Arts Partnership $28,505
FAYETTE Headley-Whitney Museum Kentucky Arts Partnership $31,344
FAYETTE Kentucky Ballet Theatre Kentucky Arts Partnership $6,809
FAYETTE Kentucky Theatre Association Kentucky Arts Partnership $1,000
FAYETTE LexArts Kentucky Arts Partnership $26,382
FAYETTE Lexington Art League Kentucky Arts Partnership $15,634
FAYETTE Lexington Ballet Company Kentucky Arts Partnership $10,484
FAYETTE Lexington Children’s Theatre Kentucky Arts Partnership $31,180
FAYETTE Lexington Philharmonic Kentucky Arts Partnership $37,943
FAYETTE Living Arts & Science Center Kentucky Arts Partnership $18,847
FAYETTE Music institute of Lexington Kentucky Arts Partnership $11,676
FAYETTE Bluegrass Youth Ballet
Kentucky Peer Advisory Network
Consultancy
$400
FAYETTE Central Kentucky Youth Orchestra
Kentucky Peer Advisory Network
Consultancy
$400
FAYETTE Kentucky Playwrights Workshop
Kentucky Peer Advisory Network
Consultancy
$400
67

County Applicant Program Award
FAYETTE May Apple Creations
Kentucky Peer Advisory Network
Consultancy
$400
FAYETTE Lexington Vintage Dance Society
Kentucky Peer Advisory Network
Consultancy
$400
FAYETTE University of Kentucky School of Music Partnership Grant – NSO $1,000
FAYETTE Paul Laurence Dunbar High School Poetry Out Loud $533
FAYETTE Booker T. Washington Academy Teacher Initiated Program $1,080
FLOYD Jenny Wiley Theatre Kentucky Arts Partnership $31,078
FLOYD Mountain Arts Center Kentucky Arts Partnership $30,490
FRANKLIN Capital City Museum
Interim – Cornets and Cannons Civil
War Sesquicentennial Music Festival
$2,500
FRANKLIN Josephine Sculpture Park Interim – Production of Macbeth $1,000
FRANKLIN Frankfort Arts Foundation Kentucky Arts Partnership $3,378
FRANKLIN Grand Theatre Frankfort Kentucky Arts Partnership $9,984
FRANKLIN Saxton’s Cornet Band
Kentucky Peer Advisory Network
Consultancy
$400
FRANKLIN Western Hills High School Poetry Out Loud $1,039
FRANKLIN Frankfort High School Teacher Initiated Program $1,080
FRANKLIN Good Shepherd Elementary Teacher Initiated Program $540
GRANT Grant County High School Poetry Out Loud $550
GRAVES Mayfield/Graves County Art Guild Kentucky Arts Partnership $1,726
HARDIN Lorinda Jones
Kentucky Peer Advisory Network
Consultancy
$400
HARDIN Talton K. Stone Middle School Teacher Initiated Program $1,080
HARLAN Harlan County High School Poetry Out Loud $753
HART Kentucky Repertory Theatre at Horse Cave Kentucky Arts Partnership $24,791
HART
Kentucky Repertory Theatre at Horse Cave
Kentucky Peer Advisory Network
Consultancy
$400
HART Hart County High School Poetry Out Loud $461
HART Memorial Elementary Teacher Initiated Program $2,160
HART Memorial Elementary Teacher Initiated Program $2,160
HART Munfordville Elementary Teacher Initiated Program $2,160
HENDERSON Henderson Area Arts Alliance Kentucky Arts Partnership $10,935
HENDERSON Ohio Valley Art League Kentucky Arts Partnership $1,855
HENDERSON
RiverBend Academy School of Visual and
Performing Arts
Kentucky Arts Partnership $5,637
68

County Applicant Program Award
JEFFERSON Kimberly Cox
Al Smith Fellowship Award –
Choreography
$7,500
JEFFERSON Clint Morehead
Al Smith Fellowship Award –
Creative Nonfiction
$7,500
JEFFERSON Julie Wade
Al Smith Fellowship Award –
Creative Nonfiction
$7,500
JEFFERSON Jessica Leader Al Smith Fellowship Award – Fiction $7,500
JEFFERSON Amy Tudor Al Smith Fellowship Award – Poetry $7,500
JEFFERSON Mariam Williams
Emerging Artist Award –
Creative Nonfiction
$1,000
JEFFERSON Erich Stem
Emerging Artist Award –
Musical Composition
$1,000
JEFFERSON Brian Walker Emerging Artist Award – Playwriting $1,000
JEFFERSON Cari Norris Folk Arts Apprenticeship $3,000
JEFFERSON Actors Theatre of Louisville Kentucky Arts Partnership $118,796
JEFFERSON Bourbon Baroque Kentucky Arts Partnership $1,663
JEFFERSON Fund for the Arts Kentucky Arts Partnership $57,229
JEFFERSON InKY Kentucky Arts Partnership $1,000
JEFFERSON Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft Kentucky Arts Partnership $34,016
JEFFERSON Kentucky Opera Kentucky Arts Partnership $65,375
JEFFERSON Kentucky Shakespeare Kentucky Arts Partnership $23,970
JEFFERSON Looking for Lilith Kentucky Arts Partnership $3,568
JEFFERSON Louisville Bach Society Kentucky Arts Partnership $3,888
JEFFERSON Louisville Ballet Kentucky Arts Partnership $63,156
JEFFERSON Louisville Orchestra Kentucky Arts Partnership $94,712
JEFFERSON Louisville Theatrical Association Kentucky Arts Partnership $44,939
JEFFERSON Louisville Visual Art Association Kentucky Arts Partnership $19,180
JEFFERSON Louisville Youth Choir Kentucky Arts Partnership $5,504
JEFFERSON Louisville Youth Orchestra Kentucky Arts Partnership $13,137
JEFFERSON Portland Museum Kentucky Arts Partnership $18,594
JEFFERSON Sarabande Books Kentucky Arts Partnership $20,035
JEFFERSON The Speed Art Museum Kentucky Arts Partnership $75,828
JEFFERSON Squallis Puppeteers Kentucky Arts Partnership $3,303
JEFFERSON The Louisville Chorus Kentucky Arts Partnership $1,556
JEFFERSON VOICES of Kentuckiana Kentucky Arts Partnership $6,648
JEFFERSON Walden Theatre Kentucky Arts Partnership $18,779
69

County Applicant Program Award
JEFFERSON WhoDunnit Kentucky Arts Partnership $3,057
JEFFERSON Ann Klem Reflections
Kentucky Peer Advisory Network
Consultancy
$400
JEFFERSON Pandora Productions
Kentucky Peer Advisory Network
Consultancy
$400
JEFFERSON Squallis Puppeteers
Kentucky Peer Advisory Network
Consultancy
$200
JEFFERSON Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts Partnership Grant – Accessibility $8,000
JEFFERSON Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts
Partnership Grant –
ArtsReach Kentucky
$30,000
JEFFERSON Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts Partnership Grant – NSO $1,000
JEFFERSON Maureen Morehead Poet Laureate Travel Stipend $5,000
JEFFERSON Ballard High School Poetry Out Loud $1,158
JEFFERSON Butler Traditional High School Poetry Out Loud $607
JEFFERSON Center for Arts and Culture Partnerships Public Art Symposium $5,000
JEFFERSON Cochran Elementary Teacher Initiated Program $2,160
JEFFERSON Hartstern Elementary Teacher Initiated Program $540
JEFFERSON Hawthorne Elementary Teacher Initiated Program $1,080
JEFFERSON
Southern High School Magnet
Career Academy
Teacher Initiated Program $2,160
JEFFERSON Whitney Young Elementary Teacher Initiated Program $540
JEFFERSON Wilder Elementary Teacher Initiated Program $1,080
JOHNSON Our Lady of the Mountains School Teacher Initiated Program $540
KENTON Behringer-Crawford Museum Kentucky Arts Partnership $10,964
KENTON
The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts
Center
Kentucky Arts Partnership $30,528
KENTON Center for Great Neighborhoods of Covington Kentucky Arts Partnership $5,419
KENTON Frank Duveneck Arts and Cultural Center Kentucky Arts Partnership $2,812
KENTON My Nose Turns Red Theatre Company Kentucky Arts Partnership $3,002
KENTON Beechwood High School Poetry Out Loud $969
KNOTT George Gibson Folk Arts Apprenticeship $3,000
KNOTT Appalachian Artisan Center Kentucky Arts Partnership $16,970
KNOTT Carr Creek Elementary Teacher Initiated Program $1,080
KNOX Dewitt Elementary School Teacher Initiated Program $1,620
LARUE Abraham Lincoln Elementary School Teacher Initiated Program $540
LARUE Abraham Lincoln Elementary School Teacher Initiated Program $540
70

County Applicant Program Award
LAUREL Union College at Bennett Center Interim – Arts Heal $4,000
LAUREL Mountain Heritage Artisan Center
Kentucky Peer Advisory Network
Consultancy
$400
LAUREL East Bernstadt Independent School Teacher Initiated Program $2,160
LAUREL East Bernstadt Independent School Teacher Initiated Program $2,160
LESLIE Leslie County High School Poetry Out Loud $1,754
LESLIE Leslie County High School Teacher Initiated Program $2,160
LESLIE Mountain View Elementary Teacher Initiated Program $2,160
LESLIE Stinnett Elementary Teacher Initiated Program $1,620
LETCHER Appalshop Kentucky Arts Partnership $63,415
LETCHER Jenkins Independent Schools Poetry Out Loud $1,216
MADISON C E Morgan Al Smith Fellowship Award – Fiction $7,500
MADISON EKU Center for Appalachian Studies
Interim – Appalachian Studies
Conference
$2,000
MADISON Berea Arts Council Kentucky Arts Partnership $5,187
MADISON Kentucky Guild of Artists & Craftsmen Kentucky Arts Partnership $3,575
MADISON Richmond Area Arts Council Kentucky Arts Partnership $15,063
MADISON Berea Arts Council
Kentucky Peer Advisory Network
Consultancy
$400
MADISON Jo Ann Grimes
Kentucky Peer Advisory Network
Consultancy
$400
MADISON Clark-Moores Middle School Teacher Initiated Program $2,160
MARION Lebanon Elementary Teacher Initiated Program $1,080
MARSHALL Marshall County Arts Commission Kentucky Arts Partnership $1,860
MARSHALL Marshall County Arts Commission
Kentucky Peer Advisory Network
Consultancy
$400
MASON Ohio River Valley Artists Guild Kentucky Arts Partnership $1,000
MCCRACKEN Amelia Martens Emerging Artist Award – Fiction $1,000
MCCRACKEN Britton Shurley Emerging Artist Award – Poetry $1,000
MCCRACKEN The Carson Center Kentucky Arts Partnership $60,290
MCCRACKEN Market House Theatre Kentucky Arts Partnership $19,004
MCCRACKEN National Quilt Museum Kentucky Arts Partnership $35,379
MCCRACKEN Paducah Symphony Orchestra Kentucky Arts Partnership $20,560
MCCRACKEN Yeiser Art Center Kentucky Arts Partnership $3,267
71

County Applicant Program Award
MCCRACKEN Arts Guild of Paducah
Kentucky Peer Advisory Network
Consultancy
$400
MCCRACKEN Upper Town Heritage Foundation
Kentucky Peer Advisory Network
Consultancy
$400
MCCRACKEN The Carson Center Partnership Grant – NSO $1,000
MCCRACKEN Lone Oak High School Poetry Out Loud $1,805
MERCER Ragged Edge Community Theatre Kentucky Arts Partnership $3,950
MERCER Mercer County Senior High School Poetry Out Loud $1,178
MERCER Mercer County Elementary Teacher Initiated Program $1,080
MONTGOMERY Montgomery County Council for the Arts Kentucky Arts Partnership $13,780
NELSON Boston School Teacher Initiated Program $2,160
NELSON Cox’s Creek Elementary Teacher Initiated Program $1,080
OHIO Ohio County High School Poetry Out Loud $1,496
OLDHAM Gerald Plain
Al Smith Fellowship Award –
Music Composition
$7,500
OLDHAM Arts Association of Oldham County Kentucky Arts Partnership $3,065
PENDLETON Kincaid Regional Theatre Company Kentucky Arts Partnership $4,015
PERRY
Greater Hazard Area Arts Council/
Performing Arts Series
Kentucky Arts Partnership $6,184
PERRY
PERRY
Community Foundation of Hazard and
Perry County
Greater Hazard Area Arts Council/
Performing Arts Series
Kentucky Peer Advisory Network
Consultancy
Kentucky Peer Advisory Network
Consultancy
PIKE Pikeville High School Poetry Out Loud $2,095
POWELL Bowen Elementary Teacher Initiated Program $540
PULASKI Daniel Cherry Emerging Artist Award – Fiction $1,000
PULASKI Lake Cumberland Performing Arts Series Kentucky Arts Partnership $3,753
PULASKI Center for Rural Development Partnership Grant – NSO $1,000
ROCKCASTLE Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and Museum Kentucky Arts Partnership $9,454
ROWAN Morehead State University Foundation
Interim – Kentucky Music
(Television Series)
$3,000
RUSSELL Russell County High School Poetry Out Loud $2,673
SIMPSON
Franklin-Simpson County Tourist and
Convention Commission
Interim – Franklin Battle of the
Bands Arts Festival
$400
$400
$2,000
TRIGG Janice Mason Art Museum Kentucky Arts Partnership $3,642
WARREN Orchestra Kentucky Kentucky Arts Partnership $22,303
72

County Applicant Program Award
WARREN Public Theatre of Kentucky Kentucky Arts Partnership $4,365
WARREN VSA Kentucky Kentucky Arts Partnership $10,876
WARREN VSA Kentucky
Kentucky Peer Advisory Network
Consultancy
$400
WARREN Greenwood High School Poetry Out Loud $1,202
WHITLEY Kentucky Native American Heritage Museum Kentucky Arts Partnership $1,915
WOLFE Appalachian Heritage Alliance Kentucky Arts Partnership $1,104
WOODFORD The Art Village
Interim – Woodford County
Quilt Trail
$500
WOODFORD Woodford County Theatrical Arts Association Kentucky Arts Partnership $10,872
OUT OF STATE
John F. Kennedy Center for the
Performing Arts
LEAD Conference – Kentucky
Resident Scholarships
$5,000
73

Funding
As the state arts agency, the Kentucky Arts Council receives state budget
allocations from the Kentucky General Assembly and federal funding from
the National Endowment for the Arts. State funding has declined to 1993
levels, while federal funding has steadily increased. In FY2011, National
Endowment for the Arts funding represented 28 percent of the total budget.
75

FY2011 Funding
Kentucky General Assembly
Original state appropriation $3,075,800
Health care cost increase 40,300
Budget reduction (September 2010) 46,400
Furlough savings reduction (April 2011) 23,300
State appropriation revised $3,046,400
National Endowment for the Arts $864,600
Total FY2011 Funding $3,911,000
76

Funding History
Kentucky General Assembly
Kentucky Arts Council
Fiscal Year Allocation
1993 $3,006,400
1994 $3,192,100
1995 $3,192,100
1996 $3,308,100
1997 $3,392,200
1998 $3,979,900
1999 $3,708,300
2000 $4,216,600
2001 $4,527,200
2002 $4,427,800
2003 $4,330,500
2004 $4,324,300
2005 $4,228,000
2006 $4,225,200
2007 $4,203,200
2008 $4,182,500
2009 $3,410,000
2010 $3,186,400
2011 $3,069,700
National Endowment for the Arts
Kentucky Arts Council
Fiscal Year Allocation
1999 $529,200
2000 $527,800
2001 $588,300
2002 $589,900
2003 $634,100
2004 $649,400
2005 $659,000
2006 $642,300
2007 $692,400
2008 $675,900
2009 $795,200
2010 $805,700
2011 $864,600
77

Produced by the Kentucky Arts Council, a state
agency in the Tourism, Arts and Heritage
Cabinet.
500 Mero Street
21st Floor
Frankfort, KY 40601
888.833.2787
kyarts@ky.gov
www.artscouncil.ky.gov

K E N T U C K Y
C O U N C I L