History Timeline 1965-2008

National Endowment for the Arts is created, providing matching grants to state arts agencies. Every state is offered a $50,000 matching grant.
Kentucky Arts Commission created by executive order of Governor Edward T. Breathitt.
Rose Oswald is appointed as the first Chair of the Kentucky Arts Commission.
Kentucky Arts Commission defines appropriate role of a state arts agency in Kentucky. Priorities are to support the highest quality arts programming and to make the arts accessible to the people and communities in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. State resources are not yet identified.

Kentucky General Assembly passes legislation establishing the Kentucky Arts Commission “to develop a broadly conceived state policy of support for the arts in Kentucky.”
William Hull is the first Director of the Kentucky Arts Commission.
• After touring the state and talking to community and arts leaders about building audiences for the arts and developing new sponsors for arts activities, Hull sets up technical assistance programs in performing and visual arts.

Governor Louie B. Nunn
State’s arts budget set at $100,000 in state monies. Kentucky ties with Michigan and Minnesota for third position in funding throughout the country.

Governor Wendell Ford
James Edgy – Arts Commission Director.

B. Hudson Milner – Arts Commission Chair.
General Assembly reduces number of Kentucky Arts Commission member from 26 to 16. Four-year rotating terms are established. Five member executive committee governs commission.
Jim Edgy adds Artists-in-the-Schools, a pilot program funded primarily by NEA. Edgy also develops a literature program, which includes writing workshops and awards literary magazines.

Nash Cox – Arts Commission Director.

Governor Julian Carroll
Governor’s Challenge Grant established by Governor Julian Carroll, an incentive program to assist arts organizations in raising funds from private sources. Challenge grant is launched with $225,000 from the governor’s contingency fund to match $1 million raised locally by 43 arts organizations. Executive committee (Hudson Milner, Mary Broecker, Marilyn Moosnick, Carolyn Kenton and Norma Hogge) establishes guidelines.

Al Smith – Arts Commission Chair
Kentucky Arts Commission establishes B. Hudson Milner Award to honor outstanding contributions to the arts in Kentucky.
Kentucky Arts Commission budget reaches $1.2 million.

Governor John Y. Brown, Jr.

Mary Broecker - Arts Commission Chair
Legislative session increases budget from $1,602,000 to $2,232,930.

Mary Shands – Arts Commission Chair
Kentucky Arts Commission becomes a division of newly formed Department of the Arts in the Commerce Cabinet.
Offices move to Berry Hill.
Craft division pioneered by First Lady Phyllis George Brown.
Lois Mateus – Department of the Arts Commissioner
Kentucky Arts Commission was abolished and NEA funding frozen.

New legislation based on the original purpose of the Kentucky Arts Commission passed by the General Assembly to create the Kentucky Arts Council and funding is restored.
Al Smith – Kentucky Arts Council Chair
Kay Lowe- Department of the Arts Commissioner
House Appropriations and Revenue Subcommittee expresses concern over distribution of state funds through Challenge Grant, suggesting that too much of allocation is going to Jefferson County. Legislature mandates program to encourage communities which are not participating in Challenge Grant to begin raising money for arts programming. Phase 1 and 2 of Challenge Grant becomes available to communities not currently receiving funds. As a result of new Arts Council programming, 42 new communities are added in the 1982-4 biennium.
Programs are restructured to focus on individual artists, arts organizations, community arts development and arts education.

Fellowship program is established as professional development program for artists awarding seven artists $5,000 each.
Civil Rights Advisory Committee is established to provide accessibility to all Kentuckians.
Governor Martha Layne Collins

Margaret Travathan – Kentucky Arts Council Chair
Crit Luallen – Department of the Arts Commissioner
Challenge Grant draws attention from House Appropriations and Revenue Subcommittee in regard to disproportionate amount of funds awarded to organizations in Jefferson County. Although the subcommittee votes to maintain the same distribution formula for Challenge Grant funds, the need for support of rural arts development is clear.
Fellowship program is named for Al Smith to recognize his efforts to support the work of individual artists in Kentucky.
Anne Ogden – Kentucky Arts Council Acting Director

Roger Paige – Kentucky Arts Council Director

Louis DeLuca – Department of the Arts Deputy Commissioner
New operating support program, Community Arts Development Program (serving 47 arts organizations) is created as an alternative to the Challenge Grant (serving 44 arts organizations) and approved by the Arts Council’s Budget and Planning Committee. Total appropriation for operating support programs is $1.6 million.
Governor’s Awards in the Arts program is established to expand awards in different categories for outstanding achievement and contributions to the arts.

Kentucky Arts Council approves first statewide long range plan, developed by staff and the long-range planning committee from testimony collected at public forums.
Governor Wallace G. Wilkinson

Dr. Lanette Thurman – Department of the Arts Commissioner and Kentucky Arts Council Chair.

Marlow Burt – Interim Director of Kentucky Arts Council
Josephine D’Amato Richardson – Kentucky Arts Council Chair

Marty Newell – Kentucky Arts Council Director
Kentucky General Assembly abolished the Department of the Arts and increased funding to the Kentucky Arts Council.
Kentucky Arts Council and Craft Marketing Program remained in Cabinet for Economic Development.
Offices move to Fountain Place.

Regional Arts coordinators established.
Governor Brereton Jones

Government reorganization transfers Kentucky Arts Council and Kentucky Craft Marketing Program to Education and Humanities Cabinet, later renamed Education, Arts and Humanities Cabinet.
Marilyn Moosnick – Kentucky Arts Council Chair

Louis DeLuca – Kentucky Arts Council Director
“Arts Embrace” – statewide arts conference in Owensboro

Project grants encourage educational partnerships
“Arts Connections” – statewide conference in Louisville

“30 Years of the Arts” – statewide conference in Lexington
First “Program Guidelines and Applications” book produced to streamline application forms and program descriptions in one book for entire fiscal year.
Governor Paul E. Patton
Louis DeLuca – Education, Arts & Humanities Cabinet Deputy Director

Dennis Horn – Kentucky Arts Council Interim Director
Gerri Combs – Kentucky Arts Council Executive Director
William Francis – Kentucky Arts Council Chair
General Assembly approves additional $100,000 to Arts Council allocation in anticipation of NEA cuts.

The first Festival of Kentucky Folklife is presented as a joint project of the Arts Council and the Kentucky Historical Society in Frankfort. The festival is a culmination seven years of documentation of traditional artists across the state. Attendance estimated at 20,000.
Public forums held across the state to solicit input for three-year statewide plan- “Cultural Blueprint 1997-2000”
• Program Guidelines and Applications book redesigned as a two-year compendium that is easier for constituents to use.
“Business of the Arts” -- statewide arts conference in Bowling Green.
Cultural heritage tourism initiative, Route 23 Corridor Project, is established by the Arts Council and adopted by the Education Arts and Humanities Cabinet to provide technical assistance to the counties involved in the project.

Arts Council commissions University of Kentucky Center for Business and Economic Research to conduct an economic impact study, “Arts and the Kentucky Economy.”
School-Community-Arts Partnership program established to build local alliances to support the work of the schools in integrating the arts into their curriculum.
Craft Marketing Program takes on leadership role in the development of the Gateway Appalachian Artisan Center (now Kentucky Artisans Center at Berea), which was funded by the General Assembly.
Kentucky Foundation for the Arts, a non-profit endowment to raise money from public and private sources is legislated by the General Assembly.
Circuit Rider Program established with regional representatives to provide stronger links with those working in local communities across the state.
Kentucky On Stage established as a showcase for artists adjudicated into the Performing Arts Directory.

Janrose Tunnell – Kentucky Arts Council Chair
Offices move to Old Capitol Annex
Civil Rights Committee is reorganized as Diversity Committee as advisory group in serving all diverse groups, including ethnicity, gender, and age.
Kentucky Arts Council hosts the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies annual conference in Louisville.
Arts Council adopts Policy Governance® process that redesigns the board’s role, emphasizes values, visions, empowerment of the board and staff and the strategic ability to provide leadership.

Arts Council partners with Kentucky Citizens for the Arts and Arts Kentucky to develop a statewide advocacy plan to advance support for the arts.
“Building Communities Through the Arts: A Toolbox of Best Practices” – statewide conference in Northern Kentucky.
Arts Council partners with Department of Education and Kentucky Center for the Arts to develop pilot project “Arts Academy” professional development for teachers based on other curriculum models.
Folk Heritage Award added to the Governor’s Award in the Arts categories.

Arts Council receives $500,000 START (State Arts Partnership for Cultural Participation) grant from Wallace Readers’ Digest Funds to increase participation in the arts in Kentucky.
Arts Council commissions the study, “Needs Assessment of the Performing Arts Centers of Kentucky,” conducted by the consulting firm ArtsMarket.
Arts Development Grant category changes to General Operating Support.
Arts Academies increase to four in continuing partnership with Department of Education and Kentucky Center for the Arts.

As part of the START Initiative, Arts Council staff undergoes training in standard-based planning and evaluation process and intensive work with 14 performing arts center to increase [participation in the arts.
Online database directory, “Arts Resources for Teachers and Schools” is developed as part of the Arts Toolkits in partnership with Kentucky Educational Television and the Department of Education.

Twenty-fifth anniversary of the Governor’s Awards in the Arts celebrated with gala at Kentucky Center.
Arts Council work, both internally and externally, dominated by START Initiative focus on increasing participation, including new training in standards-based planning and assessment.
Arts Council releases “Creating a Vision for the Arts in Kentucky: A Long Range Plan for 2004-2008.”
Governor Ernie Fletcher

Government reorganization transfers Kentucky Arts Council to Commerce Cabinet.
Robert E. Gable – Kentucky Arts Council Chair
Offices move temporarily to Vest Lindsey House and Bush Building
Circuit Rider Program reorganized as Regional Outreach Coordinator.

Lindy Casebier – Commerce Cabinet, Executive Director, Office Arts and Cultural Heritage
Offices move to Capital Plaza Tower.
Arts Council commissions study “Status of Arts Education in Kentucky Public Schools,” conducted by The Collaborative for Teaching and Learning.
Lori Meadows – Kentucky Arts Council Interim Director
Todd P. Lowe – Kentucky Arts Council Chair
Lori Meadows – Kentucky Arts Council Executive Director

Arts Council coordinates Kentucky’s participation in Poetry Out Loud, a national poetry recitation contest sponsored by NEA and the Poetry Foundation.
“More Than Music: A Heritage Driving Tour of Kentucky’s Route 23” is published and released for sale to the public to enhance cultural heritage tourism in Eastern Kentucky.
Arts Council begins process of converting to online grants application and administrative management system for FY2008 grants, awards and adjudicated programs.

Challenge Grants and General Operating Support Grants are restructured for more equitable delivery system and become Kentucky Arts Partnership Grants.
Arts Council participates in Kentucky Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission initiative, acting in an advisory capacity for the commissioning of public art sculptures, developing art products and establishing a grant program for Lincoln related community arts projects.
Arts Council produces traveling exhibit "Made to be Played: Traditional Art of Kentucky Luthiers."
Governor Steve Beshear

Commerce Cabinet name changes to Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet. Kentucky Arts Council remains in cabinet.
Lindy Casebier –Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet Deputy Secretary
Arts Council produces and publishes three books, "Five Kentucky Poets Laureate: An Anthology," "Kentucky Quilt Trails: Views and Voices" and "Abraham Lincoln of Kentucky."