Beau Haddock                             

(502) 564-9738   beau.haddock@ky.gov

Kentucky will host the 2005 national conference of the Craft Organization Development Association (CODA), “Building Communities: Partnerships in Craft” on June 2-5.  The conference will be based in Berea, designated as the “Arts & Crafts Capital of Kentucky”.  Conference activities will be held on the campus of Berea College, at the Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea and in Hindman, Kentucky at the Knott County Branch of the Hazard Community and Technical College, and the recently opened Kentucky School of Craft.

Friday’s conference highlights include an opening keynote address by Robert Lynch, President and CEO of  Americans for the Arts. Three concurrent panel sessions will follow focused on the themes of tourism, community development, and the business of art. These sessions will showcase several recent Kentucky craft initiatives as case studies and learning tools for issues affecting a wide range of craft organizations and other groups that support artists. The cities of Louisville, Paducah, and Berea and projects such as Glassworks, the Paducah Artists Relocation Program, and the Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea serve as good examples to generate discussion about partnerships in craft that build communities. Organizations will learn about national tourism trends and current issues in the business of art that affect their programming for artists. Panelists will bring to life the impact on tourism of such projects as the Kentucky Artisan Heritage Trails and the use of a Community Scholars program to enhance local festivals on local traditions and culture.

On Saturday, conference attendees will travel by bus to the community of Hindman, in Knott County. Knott County, through it’s Community Development Initiative, has identified an artisan based economy as a mechanism for local growth. Presentations and site visits will be made to the Kentucky School of Craft and the Kentucky Applachian Artisan Center.  Phil Psilos, director of Economic Development Programs, Regional Technology Strategies in Carrboro, North Carolina, will present a luncheon address on creative economies from a global perspective. A forum on innovative trends in craft  education will include panelists Steve Loar; director of the Center for Turning and Furniture Design, Indiana University (Indiana, Pennsylvania); Gary Clontz, Haywood Community College; and Paula Owens, president of the Southwest School of Art and Craft.

Conference attendees will also participate in peer group discussions, the ever popular three-minutes of fame, and the annual CODA membership meeting. Opportunities for shopping will be available in each location, and meals will be provided at the Artisan Center Café, the renowned Boone Tavern, and locally catered fare in other locations. Regional talent and entertainment will be presented along with gallery and studio tours, and various social activities associated with the event. Conference attendees traveling early are encouraged to visit the many and various craft and art attractions located in Louisiville and Berea, and throughout the region.

The state of Kentucky brings unique qualifications as the 2005 CODA Conference host.  Kentucky’s public and private craft programming is recognized and modeled nationally, including several new projects implemented in the past few years.  These efforts have resulted from a strong cooperative network and partnerships that have built on past successes to promote collaboration in the development of new programming.  Kentucky has also shown a long-term leadership commitment to CODA and its work to develop craft organizations.

“Since its inception as an association, CODA has positioned itself to become a dynamic force in moving forward those issues most directly affecting the arts professional.  CODA is devoted to the development of the professional and to aid the service they provide their constituents, primarily the craftsperson. We believe you will find these same character traits in Kentucky’s art network and the 2005 conference.  New projects in Kentucky have successfully influenced the status of the craftsperson and the work they produce," says Tim Glotzbach, CODA chair.

Fran Redmon, director of the Craft Marketing Program, a division of the Kentucky Arts Council in the Kentucky Commerce Cabinet serves as conference chair. Tim Glotzbach, dean and founding director of the Kentucky School of Craft, and Victoria Faoro, executive director of the Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea are the conference co-chairs. The conference is being supported by Berea College, The Hazard Community and Technical College, and the cities of Hindman and Berea. Special assistance is being provided by the Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen and the Berea Arts Council. Sponsors include the Applachian Regional Commission (ARC), Kentucky Craft Marketing Program, Brown-Forman Corporation, and Berea College.

Support from the ARC is making a number of $50 scholarships available for attendees residing in ARC counties, and $210 scholarships for residents of ARC distressed counties. A listing of ARC counties and distressed counties are on-line at www.arc.gov.

A variety of reasonably priced lodging options include the quaint and historic Boone Tavern ($67.50 - $87.50 per night), and newly built economical hotels ($55 per night). The state of Kentucky is also conveniently located within a day’s drive of half the U.S. population. Berea is located off Interstate 75 at exit 76.

CODA members receive discounted registration fees. Early bird registration discounts end May 2, 2005. For membership information or to request a conference brochure, contact Linda Van Trump, CODA managing director, P.O. Box 51, Onia, AR, 72663, 870-746-4396, Lvt.coda@mvtel.net.

The Kentucky Craft Marketing Program is a division of the Kentucky Arts Council, a state agency in the Commerce Cabinet, Commonwealth of Kentucky.  For more information, call 888 KY CRAFT (592-7238), local calls, (502) 564-8076, or visit the Program's web site at www.kycraft.ky.gov.

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Since 1981, the Craft Marketing Program's mission is to develop the state's craft industry, support and empower Kentucky artisans and craftspeople, create an economically viable environment for craft entrepreneurs, preserve the state's craft traditions, stimulate and support product development, and generate public awareness, public support and public/private partnerships.

The Program provides assistance to Kentucky residents, individuals, or groups wanting to develop as craft professionals through economic opportunities and training, to other outside entities (e.g., craft retailers, craft and art organizations, community and government agencies), and the general public. The craft industry in Kentucky contributes 252 million dollars in annual sales and Kentucky is recognized as a model state for its craft programs and its role in the $14 billion national craft industry.