FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Kentucky Arts Council offers Teacher Initiated Program grants, which help pay for professional artists to go into the classroom and give students and teachers hands-on experiences in making art. Artists who have met the qualifications for the arts council's Teaching Artists Directory also collaborate with teachers to design and implement innovative programs for incorporating arts across the curriculum after the residency is completed. The focus of residencies can vary widely, depending on the goals of the teacher and expertise of the artist hired for the residency.

Artists selected for the directory work in a wide variety of disciplines including dance, folk arts, literary arts, media/video, music, storytelling, theater and visual arts.

The application deadline for the Teacher Initiated Program grant is Jan. 15, 2012. Grant awards are available for one- to four-week residencies. For more information, go to http://1.usa.gov/KAC_teacher.

Schools awarded Teacher Initiated Program grants select artists from the Teaching Artists Directory.

The deadline for artists to apply to the Teaching Artists Directory is March 15, 2012. Kentucky artists who produce high quality artistic work and have the skills and competencies to work in a classroom setting are encouraged to apply to the directory. For more information, go to http://1.usa.gov/KAC_teaching.

A video interview of teaching artist Patricia Ritter and her residency at Lebanon Middle School is available at http://youtu.be/VCzfPyJwMd8.

For more information about arts education programs offered through the arts council, contact Rachel Allen at rachel.allen@ky.gov or 502-564-3757, ext. 486.

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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