Programs

The TranspARTation Directory connects preschool-12th grade schools with field trip destinations that provide high quality artistic experiences. Schools must choose destinations from the TranspARTation Directory when applying for TranspARTation Grant funding. Approved organizations will be in the TranspARTation Directory for three years before requiring reapproval.

Performing Artists Directory is an adjudicated program that promotes, showcases and provides professional development opportunities to a diverse selection of Kentucky's finest contemporary and traditional performing artists.

In addition, the directory is used by in-state and out-of-state presenters and others as a resource for identifying artists for performance bookings and projects.  The Kentucky Arts Council does not provide artist management.

The Teaching Artists Directory is an online directory of Kentucky artists who produce high quality artistic work and have the skills and competencies needed to work with teachers and students in designing and implementing arts education programs.

The Kentucky Peer Advisory Network consists of arts professionals on the Kentucky Peer Advisory directory available to provide three- to six-hour consultancies to assist eligible organizations and individual artists with board development, grant writing, marketing and promotions, strategic planning, festival planning and other activities.

Consultancies may be scheduled for one day or over a period of time. Consultancy fees are paid by the Kentucky Arts Council. 

Kentucky Crafted is an adjudicated program that provides assistance to Kentucky visual and craft artists through marketing, promotional opportunities and arts business training. 

Adjudicated visual and craft artists are eligible to exhibit at the Kentucky Crafted Market and other events sponsored by the program.

The Commonwealth’s highest honor in the arts, the Governor’s Awards recognize individuals and organizations who have made extraordinary and significant contributions to the arts in Kentucky. The Kentucky Arts Council coordinates the nomination process for these awards.

The 2024 awards will be presented at a public ceremony and celebration. In addition, the arts council coordinates the nomination process by panel and submits the nomination to the Governor’s Office for the Governor’s consideration and approval.

There are nine award categories. Each award category has its own eligibility requirements. The expectations are the same for all award categories. However, each award category has specific criteria.

Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for high school students across the country. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life. Poetry Out Loud is a partnership of the Kentucky Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Poetry Foundation.

The Kentucky Touring Grant is a matching grant that helps make quality public performances available to the people of the commonwealth. This program provides presenters with support to book performers of dance, music, theatre and storytelling from the Kentucky Arts Council Performing Artists Directory.

The Kentucky Arts Partnership grant provides unrestricted operating support to arts organizations to ensure that year-round participation in the arts is available to the people of Kentucky.

 The amount funded is derived from a formula based on the organization’s operating revenues, the panelists' assessment of the application and the funds available for the program.

The Individual Artist Fellowship is a highly competitive $7,500 award given to working, professional Kentucky artists who have achieved a high level of excellence and creativity in their work and who have demonstrated significant achievement in their field. Fellowships are based upon the quality of the work samples submitted by the artist. Fellowship awards are unrestricted and may be used in any way to enhance the artist's career.

The Emerging Artist Award is a competitive $1,000 award given to working, professional Kentucky artists who are in the early years of their career (usually the first 10 years of their professional artistic life) and who have achieved a level of excellence and creativity in their work. Emerging Artist Awards are determined by the quality of work samples submitted by the artist. Emerging Artist Awards are unrestricted and may be used in any way to enhance the artist's career.

The Folk and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship grant provides up to $4,000 to a Kentucky master traditional artist to teach skills, practices and culture to a less experienced artist from the same community during the course of a year.

The Community Scholars Program trains members of a community in documentation, interpretation and dissemination of their unique local cultural resources and traditional art forms.

Training consists of several sessions and occurs twice a year in different communities across the state. Certification as a Community Scholar opens up many opportunities for future research projects.

The Teaching Art Together Grant enables teachers to implement artist residencies in their classrooms. Teachers and artists work in partnership to design and implement the residencies.

This grant program enables Kentucky teachers and schools to provide their students with high quality arts experiences by funding transportation to programs provided by organizations in the TranspARTation Directory. Schools may apply for a grant based on the roundtrip mileage from their building to the facility and the number of buses necessary.

Note: The TranspARTation Grant is a reimbursement program. Approved awards will not be paid until the field trip has been completed and the final report has been submitted.

The Kentucky Poet Laureate is appointed by the Governor for a two-year term based on nominations collected by the Kentucky Arts Council and is expected to travel the state promoting the literary arts at meetings, seminars and conferences.

The word poet in the position's title is interpreted in its broadest sense to include people whose accomplishments are in any recognized literary form, including poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, playwriting and screenwriting.