Arts Council
Kentucky Arts Council supports 100 organizations across the Commonwealth
FRANKFORT, Ky. – The Kentucky Arts Council has awarded $1,616,835 in operational support funding to 100 nonprofit arts and cultural organizations for FY2012. The funds are administered through the Kentucky Arts Partnership program with competitive, matching grants for organizations offering year-round opportunities for Kentuckians to experience the arts.
“Even though our budget has been tightened significantly, we are pleased to be able to sustain public funding for all sizes of arts and cultural groups in rural, suburban and urban communities,” said Lori Meadows, executive director of the Kentucky Arts Council. “We are thankful to the members of the General Assembly for their continued support in building vibrant communities through the arts.”
The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, creates opportunities for Kentuckians to value, participate in and benefit from the arts. Kentucky Arts Council funding is provided by the Kentucky General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts.
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NOTE TO EDITORS: The following is a listing, by county, of organizations receiving Kentucky Arts Partnership grants:
Boyd
Paramount Arts Center $50,252
The Paramount Arts Center is a multi-faceted cultural organization that maintains a historic theater used by local nonprofit arts groups as well as national touring groups for live theater and musical performances. It also offers creative workshops for students and opportunities for cross-cultural exchanges.
Boyle
Community Arts Center $10,260
The Community Arts Center in downtown Danville offers exhibits, performances, lectures and public gathering spaces as well as year-round education in dance, drama, music and visual arts by independent instructors.
The Arts Commission of Danville/Boyle County $1,000
The Arts Commission of Danville/Boyle County, an umbrella organization for artists and arts organizations, promotes community activities that provide opportunities to participate in and build an appreciation for the arts.
Calloway
Murray Art Guild $1,926
The Murray Art Guild provides community studio space for visual artists to work, display and sell their art and for events, programs and mentoring.
Playhouse in the Park $4,666
Playhouse in the Park’s year-round community theater program encourages people of all ages, especially children, to participate in plays, workshops and other aspects of classical and contemporary dramatic arts.
Campbell
Kentucky Symphony Orchestra $17,518
The Kentucky Symphony Orchestra offers year-round programming and has received an award for making classical music accessible and interesting to today's audiences, while maintaining high performance standards and integrity.
Christian
Pennyroyal Arts Council $7,452
The Pennyroyal Arts Council presents performances by professional artists and touring companies, supports arts-in-education programs, provides financial, administrative and marketing assistance to local artists and arts organizations, and operates a community performing arts facility.
Clark
Leeds Center for the Arts $2,984
The Leeds Center for the Arts, housed in the renovated Leeds Movie Theatre, provides a regional performing arts venue and education resource center for the visual and performing arts.
Daviess
International Bluegrass Music Museum $18,909
The International Bluegrass Music Museum is a state-of-the-art museum that exhibits bluegrass music history, artifacts and collections. It also produces programs to foster arts education and participation and draws bluegrass fans from around the world.
Owensboro Dance Theatre $5,977
The Owensboro Dance Theatre, comprised of non-professionals selected from open auditions, provides instruction, clinics and workshops for aspiring area dancers and stages two major productions each year featuring local performers and professional guest artists.
Owensboro Museum of Fine Art $25,537
The Owensboro Museum of Fine Art houses a collection of American, European and Asian art dating from the 15th century to the present, and has hosted more than 275 exhibitions from around the world. It conducts visual arts programs for schools and advises public and private organizations on arts-related matters.
Owensboro Symphony Orchestra $24,161
The Owensboro Symphony Orchestra is western Kentucky's premiere producer of classical and pops concerts, and the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra Academy is the region's largest producer of music education programs, offering instruction to more than 20,000 schoolchildren annually.
RiverPark Center $46,778
RiverPark Center hosts diverse performing arts performances and civic events and sponsors a nationally recognized arts-in-education program.
Theatre Workshop of Owensboro $6,702
Theatre Workshop of Owensboro is a community theatrical arts organization that offers a range of training and performance opportunities, from youth productions of Shakespeare to main-stage presentations of the best classical and contemporary works.
Fayette
Actors Guild of Lexington $10,552
Actors Guild of Lexington produces a series of main-stage performances annually, ranging from classics to musicals. It also stages outdoor performances, late-night events, solo performances and new-play readings and collaborates with public school and college film and theater programs.
Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning $15,566
The Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning offers educational opportunities ranging from language, computer and writing workshops for adults and after-school tutoring for youths to gallery exhibits, theatrical performances and author readings.
Central Kentucky Youth Orchestra $8,296
Central Kentucky Youth Orchestra enrolls hundreds of student musicians in four orchestras and seven smaller ensembles. It works with public and private schools to foster high quality opportunities for talented central Kentucky youngsters while producing affordable, family-friendly concerts for the community.
Central Music Academy $4,318
Central Music Academy provides free music education for financially disadvantaged children in downtown Lexington. Qualified instructors offer both private lessons and group classes in instrumental performance and voice.
Explorium of Lexington $23,093
Founded as the Lexington Children's Museum, Explorium of Lexington focuses on educating young people in a hands-on way about cultural diversity and the arts. It operates a children’s art gallery, puts on a young artists’ fair and other arts programming and supports art clubs in county schools.
Headley-Whitney Museum $24,382
The Headley-Whitney Museum exhibits a large collection of decorative art objects for both the pure enjoyment of their viewing and to demonstrate the connections of a particular art object to a people’s history and culture. Educational programs encourage intellectual inquiry, interpretation and appreciation of diverse art objects.
Kentucky Ballet Theatre $9,980
Kentucky Ballet Theatre is a professional company and dance academy that performs traditional and neo-classical ballets as well as new works and promotes ballet throughout the Commonwealth.
Kentucky Theatre Association $1,000
The Kentucky Theatre Association encourages all types of theater activity, promotes theater education and builds relationships among organizations, groups or individuals with an interest in theater.
LexArts $28,389
LexArts raises money for the broader central Kentucky arts community and organizes programs, activities, exhibitions and development opportunities for artists.
Lexington Art League $14,593
The Lexington Art League presents original, thought-provoking programs intended to engage diverse populations and build interest in the visual arts as a tool for positive social change.
Lexington Ballet Company $12,336
The Lexington Ballet’s award-winning school schedules over 36 classes per week, and its professional company presents over 100 performances a year. It also offers programs in schools and rural communities.
Lexington Children's Theatre $30,356
Lexington Children's Theatre is a professional, nonprofit theater organization that produces a series of main-stage shows and supports a tour company that travels the state, serving more than 130,000 children annually.
Lexington Philharmonic $30,949
The Lexington Philharmonic is central Kentucky’s only professional orchestra, producing more than 100 performances and educational programs each season.
Living Arts & Science Center $20,047
The Living Arts & Science Center conducts more than 400 classes and workshops annually, stages six to eight art exhibits a year, and organizes field trips and community arts projects. It also offers affordable family events and free art classes for at-risk, special-needs and underserved individuals.
Music Institute of Lexington $10,649
The Music Institute of Lexington provides individual and group instruction in piano, guitar, strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion and voice to nearly 500 central Kentuckians annually, almost half without cost to the students.
The Balagula Theatre Company $4,023
The Balagula Theatre Company is a community group that performs in the non-traditional venue of Natasha’s Bistro, a downtown Lexington restaurant with a modular stage and 100-seat audience capacity.
Floyd
Jenny Wiley Theatre $25,160
Jenny Wiley Theatre produces professional theater, including outdoor theater, historical dramas that preserve local culture and heritage, dinner theater, school shows and youth productions. It strives to provide a range of performance and educational opportunities to citizens of the region and bridge the gap between eastern Kentucky and other regions and cultures.
Mountain Arts Center $29,400
The Mountain Arts Center is a performing arts venue, an arts education facility and a tourist destination celebrating the musical heritage of eastern Kentucky and providing numerous arts education and performing arts programs for area youth.
Franklin
Frankfort Arts Foundation $3,193
The Frankfort Arts Foundation partners with Kentucky State University to promote cultural enrichment through artistic and educational endeavors, including performances, master classes, artists-in-the-schools services and community service programs for school children, university students and underserved populations.
Grand Theatre Frankfort $10,653
The recently renovated Grand Theatre presents music concerts and visual arts exhibits and is host to theater productions, film screenings and other civic events.
Graves
Mayfield/Graves County Art Guild $1,819
The Mayfield/Graves County Art Guild provides educational programs in aesthetic appreciation and art techniques to all age levels as well as exhibition space for local and regional artists and a workspace and resource library for artists.
Hardin
Music and Arts Center of Cultural Learning $2,681
The Music and Arts Center for Cultural Learning offers private music lessons and group art classes and supports the only youth orchestra program in Hardin County.
Hart
Kentucky Repertory Theatre at Horse Cave $20,557
Kentucky Repertory Theatre, Kentucky's only equity theater outside of Louisville, produces classic plays and exciting new works and offers a popular education program for students of all ages, including programs that assist young people who are interested in theater as a career and programs for theater professionals seeking to advance their careers.
Henderson
Henderson Area Arts Alliance $9,008
The Henderson Area Arts Alliance is an umbrella organization for the many small Henderson arts groups. The Alliance programs, funds and promotes a full season of performing arts shows at the Henderson Fine Arts Center.
Ohio Valley Art League $1,802
The Ohio Valley Art League is a visual arts organization engaged in civic activity such as adding gallery lighting to the historical rotunda of the Henderson County Public Library, coordinating a mural made by students with learning disabilities in memory of the blues artist W. C. Handy, and placing Henderson's first public sculpture at the entrance of the Henderson Fine Arts Center.
RiverBend Academy School of Visual & Performing Arts $4,094
The RiverBend Academy provides art and music instruction for all ages, including very young learners; organizes art activities for those with physical disabilities, learning disorders and other emotional issues; and provides activities for youth during critical after-school hours.
Jefferson
Actors Theatre of Louisville $95,847
Now in its 48th season, Actors Theatre of Louisville, the State Theatre of Kentucky, leads the nation in the creation of new plays and offers innovative re-imagining of the classics. Actors Theatre is home to the Humana Festival of New American Plays and in its 30 plus years has produced over 300 premieres by more than 200 playwrights, including three Pulitzer Prize winners.
Bourbon Baroque $1,878
Bourbon Baroque performs the music of the 17th and 18th centuries on the instruments for which the music was composed. Its performances range from small chamber ensemble settings to fully staged baroque operatic productions, including collaborations with the Kentucky Opera, the Choral Arts Society and the Louisville Youth Choir.
Choral Arts Society $3,751
The Choral Arts Society performs choral masterpieces of all eras in a variety of venues in Louisville. The Choral Arts Society auditions all singers annually, maintains a core of professionals who are paid for their participation, hires soloists from the region and nation, and performs at least one major work with orchestra each season.
Creative Diversity Studio $1,824
The Creative Diversity Studio is committed to the advancement of artists with disabilities and the inclusion of those artists in the cultural community by means of providing studio space, art instruction and professional skills building.
Fund for the Arts $64,213
The Fund for the Arts is the oldest united arts fund in the country, currently allocating funds to 27 member groups and programs, including grants to 200 community organizations and schools in the region. Donations come from individuals, corporations, foundations and government.
InKY $1,000
InKY is a literary arts organization that presents live performances by established and emerging writers, as well as open-microphone events that encourage wide participation.
Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft $32,071
The Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft celebrates Kentucky's craft art heritage and provides public programming and exhibits of interest to all ages and all parts of the community.
Kentucky Opera Association $56,385
Kentucky Opera engages over 400 local and international artists each year and produces a series of main-stage productions at the Brown Theatre in Louisville. Among its goals is to be a national leader in developing opera programs for younger audiences.
Kentucky Shakespeare $20,820
Kentucky Shakespeare offers free, accessible performances to more than 10,000 audience members each summer and 50,000 students during the school year. Educational programs teach children, educators and others about the literature and history of Shakespeare's plays as well as the performing arts discipline.
Looking For Lilith $3,547
Looking for Lilith Theatre Company is a professional women's ensemble dedicated to re-examining history through women's perspectives and creating original performance pieces based on that research. It conducts both short- and long-term residencies in Kentucky high schools, colleges and universities, in which workshop participants use collaborative theater techniques to explore historical and social themes and issues.
Louisville Ballet $56,940
The Louisville Ballet encompasses a professional company, which presents a series of main-stage productions annually; the Louisville Ballet School, which provides year-round training in ballet, tap, jazz and modern dance; and educational programming that reaches into the community and into the public schools to teach the beauty and joy of dance.
Louisville Theatrical Association $55,169
Music Theatre Louisville, Stage One and the Broadway Across America Education Programs merged to form the Louisville Theatrical Association, which provides a large number of opportunities for children and families to participate in the arts and learn more about the arts.
Louisville Visual Art Assciation $21,551
The Louisville Visual Art Association offers opportunities for arts education and participation in the visual arts, including studio art instruction for talented students ages 9-18, a lecture and luncheon series, adult art classes, and an arts enrichment program for individuals with special needs and those in underserved communities.
Louisville Youth Orchestra $10,496
The Louisville Youth Orchestra offers young musicians the opportunity to work with skilled conductors, perform with guest artists and premiere new compositions. By offering beginning instruction in schools without string programs, the organization has increased its membership and the community’s awareness of its programs.
Portland Museum $13,590
Portland Museum preserves and celebrates the art, craft and oral tradition of the Portland neighborhood of Louisville and brings art and artists into the community, offering performances and arts education activities and nurturing the community’s creative spirit.
Sarabande Books $17,737
Sarabande Books is a literary arts organization that publishes poetry, short fiction and literary nonfiction, genres that increasingly have trouble finding a place in the for-profit publishing world. Sarabande sponsors important literary prizes and conducts workshops, readings and panel discussions related to the craft of writing.
Squallis Puppeteers $2,904
Squallis Puppeteers uses the art of puppetry to engage imaginations, improve communications and tell the stories important to the communities where they perform. Squallis offers outreach programs to schools and the community, such as touring puppet shows and puppet-making workshops.
The Clifton Center $7,461
The historic Clifton Center’s recently renovated facility is a gathering place for concerts, theater productions, film screenings, lectures and arts education. The Center also provides artist and dance studios.
The Louisville Chorus $1,620
The Louisville Chorus boasts 50 auditioned singers who perform a varied repertoire from choral masterworks to benefit shows to holiday music to bluegrass.
The Louisville Orchestra $74,354
The Louisville Orchestra offers a wide variety of concerts to the community, including classical programs featuring world-renowned guest artists, lighter classical and pops performances, and education and family offerings. The Orchestra is also the resident performing group for the Louisville Ballet and the Kentucky Opera.
The Louisville Youth Choir $5,832
The Louisville Youth Choir features more than 100 singers in five ensembles: Primary Choir, Chorale, Kantorei, Les Chambres and Lascito Coro.
The Speed Art Museum $70,178
The Speed Art Museum, Kentucky's first and largest art museum, holds a permanent collection of over 13,000 works of art spanning 6,000 years of world civilization, providing excellent opportunities for visitors to learn about art, history and different cultures.
VOICES of Kentuckiana $6,144
VOICES of Kentuckiana is an inclusive community chorus that offers a safe and comfortable performance environment for gays and lesbians. It boasts a diverse membership and a diverse audience and actively strives to increase public participation in the arts.
Walden Theatre $19,163
Walden Theatre is a nationally renowned program that provides the most comprehensive theater education opportunities in the area for K-12 youth, educators and others. Students in the programs not only receive an unparalleled education in literature, history and theater, but also learn to work with others, improve communication skills and make new and lasting friendships.
Kenton
Behringer-Crawford Museum $13,416
The Behringer-Crawford Museum's collection contains thousands of objects, artifacts, documents, photographs, textiles, paintings and sculpture representing 450 million years of history, art and culture as viewed through the lens of transportation — rivers, roads, rails and runways.
Center for Great Neighborhoods of Covington $4,996
The Center for Great Neighborhoods equips residents with the tools and resources community members need to improve their lives as they improve their neighborhoods, including recognizing the value of the arts in promoting a common cultural identity.
My Nose Turns Red Theatre Company $2,902
My Nose Turns Red Theatre Company educates the public about the role of the clown in culture and presents public demonstrations, performances, workshops and residencies. The company’s principal program, the Youth Circus, serves youth in northern Kentucky as well as greater Cincinnati and Louisville.
The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center $21,377
The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center offers a venue for emerging and established artists to create, perform and exhibit their work.
Knott
Appalachian Artisan Center $19,998
The Appalachian Artisan Center of Kentucky operates a retail shop selling the products of 200 regional artisans and a studio program lending support to jewelers, visual artists, woodworkers and master artists-in-residence.
Letcher
Appalshop $53,936
Appalshop, initially a federal War on Poverty project created to train youth in filmmaking, now tells the story of the people of eastern Kentucky through storytelling, community-based theater, multidisciplinary arts, music and radio. Its mission is to celebrate the lasting traditions and contemporary creativity of Appalachia, challenging stereotypes with original Appalachian voices and visions.
Madison
Berea Arts Council $4,544
The Berea Arts Council brings together the artists of Berea College and the wider community to offer a range of activities and arts programming for all citizens in the area at its facility on Berea’s College Square.
Kentucky Guild of Artists & Craftsmen $3,856
The Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen is a statewide visual art and craft service and membership organization that seeks to build Kentucky’s international reputation as an area rich in visual art and fine craft.
Richmond Area Arts Council $9,152
The Richmond Area Arts Council supports and promotes local artists and arts organizations and, through a strong partnership with the Madison County School District, offers a comprehensive arts education program after the regular school day.
Marshall
Marshall County Arts Commission $1,851
The Marshall County Arts Commission offers support, encouragement and opportunities to residents involved in the performing and visual arts. The organization strives to educate the community through a balanced exposure to all arts disciplines.
Mason
Ohio River Valley Artists Guild $1,000
The Ohio River Valley Artists Guild is a visual arts service organization, established to promote the visual arts throughout the region with educational and peer-group activities.
McCracken
The Carson Center $61,799
The Carson Center, home to the Paducah Symphony Orchestra, is a regional performing arts center offering a variety of programming, including a Broadway Series and the Class Acts Education Series.
Market House Theatre $18,034
The Market House Theatre nurtures local performing artists and brings theater into the schools as a teaching tool for math, science, social studies, history and reading.
National Quilt Museum $32,604
The National Quilt Museum celebrates the art of quiltmaking and honors today's quiltmakers by exhibiting more than 150 quilts daily year-round and offering workshops, conferences, community events, publications and art instruction for youth and adults.
Paducah Symphony Orchestra $20,081
The Paducah Symphony Orchestra, the Carson Center's orchestra-in-residence, provides high quality orchestral and choral music to area residents and employment to professional musicians in western Kentucky. It encompasses a wide range of ensembles, including the professional orchestra, Paducah POPS, an auditioned 70-member symphony chorus and a multi-county 60-member children's chorus.
Yeiser Art Center $3,407
The Yeiser Art Center presents eight or nine exhibitions annually, provides art experiences for children and adults, advocates for strong visual arts education in schools and supports other community arts projects.
Mercer
Ragged Edge Community Theatre $3,894
Located in the old Harrod Theatre building, Ragged Edge Community Theatre produces a series of main-stage and children’s plays each season. It also serves as a cultural arts center, providing educational opportunities, visual art exhibition space and other cultural entertainment.
Montgomery
Montgomery County Council for the Arts $12,460
The Montgomery County Council for the Arts—currently housed in the Gateway Regional Center for the Arts, a recently renovated historic church in Mount Sterling—provides programming in all arts disciplines for the community and surrounding counties.
Oldham
Arts Association of Oldham County $3,367
The Arts Association of Oldham County offers free or low-cost entertainment and cultural experiences to local citizens, as well as business opportunities for local artists at venues like Gallery 104 on Main Street in LaGrange.
Pendleton
Kincaid Regional Theatre Company $4,361
Kincaid Regional Theatre provides an artistic outlet for professional and local talent by producing professional quality theatrical and performing arts events and educational opportunities for young people.
Perry
Greater Hazard Area Arts Council / Performing Arts Series $6,810
The Greater Hazard Area Arts Council, an affiliate of the Hazard Independent College Foundation and Hazard Community and Technical College, presents culturally diverse arts programs and arts education activities while celebrating the rich arts heritage of the region.
Pulaski
Lake Cumberland Performing Arts Series $3,415
Lake Cumberland Performing Arts works in partnership with The Center for Rural Development to annually present a series of performing arts programs and a rotating visual art exhibit. Its School Time Theatre offers opportunities for students to participate in performances and workshops.
Watershed Arts Alliance $1,000
Watershed Arts Alliance offers local artists an opportunity to exhibit their art and to perform before local audiences. It also provides cultural opportunities to the people of Pulaski and surrounding counties, including performing arts events, musical instruction for school children and visual arts exhibits.
Rockcastle
Kentucky Music Hall of Fame & Museum $9,404
The Kentucky Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Renfro Valley highlights Kentucky's music heritage by honoring the contributions of Kentucky musicians and by educating music fans of all ages.
Scott
Scott County Arts Consortium $1,913
The Scott County Arts Consortium presents diverse arts and cultural exhibits and events, featuring local and regional artists, writers, and musicians. It also offers art classes and educational outreach at the Arts and Cultural Center, a restored 1870 jail, and at ArtZone, a multi-purpose studio and office facility in Georgetown.
American Academy of Equine Art $2,289
The American Academy of Equine Arts organizes and presents exhibits of equine art throughout the United States, including an annual juried exhibit of the works of emerging artists. Each year the academy sponsors workshops in equine drawing, painting and sculpture in various locations across the nation.
Simpson
Simpson County Guild of Artists and Craftsmen $1,532
The Simpson County Guild of Artists and Craftsmen is a community-based organization made up of regional artists whose objective is promoting the arts and art education within Simpson County. It operates an art gallery in an 1800s building on the square in downtown Franklin.
Trigg
Janice Mason Art Museum $2,580
The Janice Mason Art Museum, housed in the old post office building, provides opportunities for local residents to interact with the visual and performing arts and promotes an environment for people of all ages and backgrounds to achieve personal growth through the arts.
Warren
Capitol Arts Alliance $11,887
Housed in a historic former vaudeville and movie theater, Capitol Arts Alliance serves a large south central Kentucky audience as a performing arts center, multi-gallery exhibit venue and home to the Capitol Arts Youth Theatre.
Orchestra Kentucky $22,079
Orchestra Kentucky, formerly the Bowling Green Chamber Orchestra, employs the finest professional musicians from the region to perform a busy season of subscription concerts, run-out concerts and special event performances.
The Public Theatre of Kentucky $4,183
The Public Theatre of Kentucky is dedicated to enriching the cultural life of Bowling Green and the surrounding region through the production of high quality theater and other performing arts events, including those featuring local musicians and artists, a children’s theater organization and a gallery filled with the work of Kentucky’s visual artists.
VSA Kentucky $9,962
VSA Kentucky provides statewide advocacy and arts education programs for children and adults with disabilities. Its Arts Inclusion Program brings artists of all disciplines into the classroom to work with students with disabilities.
Washington
Central Kentucky Community Theatre $3,315
The Central Kentucky Community Theatre provides training and diverse performance opportunities in the theatrical arts for youth and adults at the Springfield Opera House, located on Main Street in downtown Springfield.
Whitley
Kentucky Native American Heritage Museum $2,514
The Kentucky Native American Heritage Museum is a mobile educational outreach program that travels to schools, libraries, museums and festivals around Kentucky to educate children and adults about the rich culture, arts and beliefs of the Eastern Woodland Tribes inhabiting Kentucky.
Wolfe
Appalachian Heritage Alliance $1,352
In a region rich in cultural arts, the Appalachian Heritage Alliance organizes arts programs as well as educational opportunities for schools in seven counties.
Woodford
Woodford County Theatrical Arts Association $9,892
The Woodford County Theatrical Arts Association strives to cultivate an appreciation of live theater. The organization provides an opportunity for residents to build and showcase a variety of skills by producing high quality theater and offering educational programs in theater, dance and music.
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