Beau Haddock                                          (502) 564-9738 beau.haddock@ky.gov

Robert Lynch, President and CEO of Americans for the Arts, will present “America at a Cultural Crossroads: Creativity, Craft and Community in the 21st Century,” on Friday, June 3, 9:00 a.m.–10:15 a.m. (EST), Phelps-Stokes Chapel, on the campus of Berea College.

The general public is invited to attend Mr. Lynch’s opening keynote address that will kick-off the Craft Organization Development Association (CODA) conference, “Building Communities: Partnerships in Craft”. The conference is being held in Berea and Hindman, Kentucky, June 2-5.

Currently in his 30^th year of work for the arts industry, Lynch has been motivated by his personal mission to empower communities and leaders to advance the arts and appreciation for the arts in society.  Lynch has raised more than $30 million toward information and advocacy work for the arts during his career.

As former executive director of the National Assembly of Local Arts Agencies (NALAA), Lynch worked with corporate executives and volunteer leaders of local arts agencies to improve support systems for the arts across the country.

Lynch managed the 1996 merger of NALAA with the American Council for the Arts (ACA)―one of the small number of successful mergers of two national nonprofit groups, forming Americans for the Arts.  Under his leadership, Americans for the Arts has grown to include a 50-member staff with offices in New York and Washington, D.C.

Throughout his career, Lynch has delivered and presented more than 1,000 speeches and workshops in 49 states and eight countries for audiences ranging from Native American tribal gatherings, to the U.S. Armed Forces in Europe, to the President of the United States. 

The state of Kentucky brings unique qualifications as the site for the 2005 CODA Conference.  Kentucky’s public and private craft programming is recognized and modeled nationally, including several new projects implemented in the past few years.  Conference hosts are the Kentucky Craft Marketing Program,

the Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea, and The Kentucky School of Craft. Sponsors include the Applachian Regional Commission (ARC), Kentucky Craft Marketing Program, Brown-Forman Corporation, Berea College and Hazard Community and Technical College.

Separate tickets, for the keynote only, are available for $5 each. Attendees may pre-register by May 26 and pay at the door. After May 26, registration for the keynote will be held on-site in the lobby of Boone Tavern. For registration and information, visit or contact Linda Van Trump at lvt.coda@mvtel.net or 870-746-4396. Complete conference details are available at www.codacraft.org.

The Kentucky Craft Marketing Program is a division of the Kentucky Arts Council. The Kentucky Arts Council and the Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea are state agencies 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.