Arts Council
Training Available in Western Kentucky for Those Interested in Preserving Local History and Documenting Community Traditions

FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Kentucky Folklife Program will present a series of training sessions as part of the Community Scholars certification program in Madisonville this summer at the Hopkins County Cooperative Extension Office, 75 Cornwall Drive, Madisonville, Ky.

The Community Scholars training is designed to help people document and promote community culture, folklife and the traditional arts.  Community Scholars learn the basic skills needed to conduct fieldwork, identify and showcase traditional arts and musical talents, folk traditions and local history.  The six workshops in the series are held on Fridays from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., beginning May 30^th and continuing on June 13^th, June 27^th, July 25^th, August 8^th and August 22^nd.  Participation is not limited to Hopkins County residents and all levels of experience are welcome.

Community Scholars graduates are eligible for exclusive grant opportunities through the Kentucky Arts Council and will become a part of the growing network of over 100 certified Community Scholars across the commonwealth.  Community Scholars training programs have been conducted in Paducah, Bowling Green, Frankfort, Covington, Hodgenville, Catlettsburg, Cynthiana, and Paintsville.

For more information about the Community Scholars program or to register for the Madisonville training sessions, contact Kentucky Folklife Program Folklife Specialist Sarah Schmitt at 502-564-1792 ext. 4555 or sarah.schmitt@ky.gov.

The Kentucky Folklife Program, whose mission is to identify document and conserve the state’s diverse cultural traditions, is an interagency program of the Kentucky Historical Society and the Kentucky Arts Council.

The Kentucky Arts Council is a state agency in the Commerce Cabinet that creates opportunities for Kentuckians to value, participate in and benefit from the arts. Kentucky Arts Council funding is provided by the Kentucky State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art.

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The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, invests in programs that develop vibrant communities, provide lifelong education in the arts and support arts participation. Every $1 invested in operating support grants by the Kentucky Arts Council leverages $24 in earned income and matching funds from individuals, philanthropic sources and other levels of government.