July 1, 2003
Defining the Arts (An Introduction)
The mention of the word "art" evokes an image of a painting in a gallery or an endearing child's drawing on the refrigerator door. Add an "s" to the word and performances quickly come to mind. Music, theatre and dance join ranks with visual, literary, design and media arts as disciplines that form what we know as the arts in Kentucky today. Recognizing that the arts are as dynamic as the world itself, new disciplines and art forms are emerging, along with new technologies and the new economy.
Is craft art? It's hardly a question to be considered in Kentucky, where fine traditional and contemporary crafts define our cultural landscape, as vividly as horses, basketball, and our pathway to excellence in education.
In preparing our students for a successful future we expect them to create, perform and respond to the arts. In essence, this is everyone's relationship to the arts; we all create, perform or respond to the arts in our everyday lives. We may not be a part of the audiences for the symphony, opera or ballet, yet we still participate in the arts in a less formal way. As participants we may create by telling stories to our children at bedtime, perform by singing in the church choir, or respond by taking more than a moment's notice of a piece of statuary in a cemetery.
The Kentucky Arts Council takes the lead on this path of discovering the value of the arts in its broadest definition and understanding the relationship between participation in the arts and improving the quality of life for all Kentuckians. The Arts Council was established in 1965 by the General Assembly to "develop and promote a broadly conceived state policy for the arts in Kentucky." As a state agency in the Education, Arts and Humanities Cabinet, the Arts Council is funded by state budget allocations, as determined by the General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts. The Arts Council, in turn, provides arts-focused grants and programs or services to every county in Kentucky.
Grants provide funding for organizational support; artist residencies in schools and communities; touring subsidies; professional development for artists, arts administrators and teachers; traditional arts apprenticeships; and projects that expand arts offerings and increase participation in the arts. Programs include the Craft Marketing Program that works to expand the state's craft industry, and the Folklife Program, an interagency partnership with the Kentucky Historical Society that conserves and promotes the rich cultural traditions of Kentuckians. Training and technical assistance are achieved through professional program staff, five "Circuit Riders" employed as regional representatives, and partnerships with other state-wide organizations and agencies. The Arts Council also provides information resources through research, conferences, workshops, publications and directories, web communications, data sharing, and personal consultations and referrals. In a broader sense, the Arts Council plays a critical role in promoting cultural tourism, enhancing economic development, and securing a strong foothold for the arts in education.
Through this very dynamic and inclusive viewpoint of what the arts are and a broad lens of experience in promoting and supporting the arts, the Arts Council joins Kentuckians in visioning a future that transforms individual lives, strengthens families, and builds communities through the arts.
Spheres of Influence (The Process)
A statewide plan for the arts is only as good as the process that informs it. The Kentucky Arts Council, in partnerships with Arts Kentucky and Kentucky Citizens for the Arts - the two major statewide arts advocacy organizations - developed a multi-layered approach to ensure that the plan would be relevant to Kentuckians and actionable. Considerations for designing the plan contained overlapping information, strategies and expectations that eventually aligned in service of creating a vision for the arts. This vision extends beyond the Arts Council's daily work plan and is owned by all Kentuckians who benefit from the arts.
Research and Knowledge Base
At the June 2002 Arts Council Board meeting, board members, Arts Council program staff, and the executive directors of Arts Kentucky and Kentucky Citizens for the Arts began the dialogue for designing a process for the plan. Research from national arts "think tanks" and the Kentucky Long Term Policy Research Center augmented the considerable knowledge base within the Arts Council. Market research that formed the basis of the Americans for the Arts arts education advocacy campaign, "ART, Ask for More.," was considered, along with knowledge acquired from the continuing research of the Arts Education Partnership, National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, National Endowment for the Arts, RAND, and the Wallace-Reader's Digest Funds.
Synchronicity
The work of the agency and, indeed, the delivery of the arts in Kentucky is dependent on a myriad of priorities that are established by governmental structure, partnership commitments, and the established mission and purpose of the Arts Council. A full complement of relevant long-range and strategic plans was closely examined to determine areas of alignment in purpose and to explore greater efficiencies of services.
Public Input
In order to fully represent all constituents, the planning process was designed to gather information from as diverse a cross section of the public as possible. Diversity goals stretched beyond geographic, socio-economic, age, race and ethnic categories to include those who might not think of themselves as artists or as connected to the arts community. To ensure diversity and inclusion, each planning team for the public forums identified a target group and worked to remove their barriers for participation. The meetings were attended by groups as broad as the African American community to very specific groups such as early childhood daycare workers.
Interest Circles
The public input process began and ended with well-informed groups responding in depth to the issues facing the Arts Council and Kentucky in shaping the future for the arts. The first interest circle was a joint meeting of the boards and staff of Arts Kentucky, Citizens for the Arts and the Arts Council. The facilitated discussion centered on the five goals of the Kentucky Arts Council, the adaptability of those goals into a statewide vision that could be shared locally and, finally, making a connection to the four goals that Kentuckians ranked highest in importance in the Long Term Policy Research Center study . This meeting also served as a barometer to shape the format and content in ways that would be engaging and meaningful to follow at the public forums.
Before completion of the plan, the Arts and Humanities Advisory Group - professional staff from major arts-related organizations providing arts education programs throughout the state, Kentucky Department of Education staff and educators - served as an interest circle to examine all the data, refer to their knowledge base of research, and respond to the roles of arts and education as they relate to the formation of this plan.
During the final Arts Council Board review of the plan, the Kentucky Arts Council Diversity Committee was invited for perusal and response. This group of professionals from across the Commonwealth acts in an advisory capacity and represents various communities of interest, such as those with disabilities, racial and ethnic minorities, and youth-at-risk.
Public Forums
The Arts Council, Craft Marketing and Folklife Program staff teamed with performing arts centers and local arts organizations to hold public forums at 13 sites, designed to cover all the service areas of the state. Facilitators' notes are available for the meetings, held in October and November 2002, in Ashland, Bowling Green, Henderson, Hopkinsville, Lexington, Louisville, Madisonville, Northern Kentucky, Owensboro, Paducah, Prestonsburg, Somerset and Winchester.
Modeling of accessibility standards and local arts presentations were integrated into the format of the meetings. Over 500 hundred people attended these meetings statewide, with 300 participants outside the urban centers of Lexington and Louisville.
Online Survey
The re-occurring themes and actionable steps that evolved from the public forums became the material for an informal web-based questionnaire, designed to provide additional opportunities for wider participation in the process. Numerous strategies were used to solicit responses from the full range of likely individuals and groups. General solicitations for responses were sought from statewide media releases, newsletter notification, and flyers. The flyers were distributed at local arts related workshops and informational meetings as well as every library in Kentucky. Targeted e-mail prompts were sent to organizational support grantees, an electronic subscriber list for arts education news, Cooperative Extension Agents for Family and Consumer Sciences and journalists in Kentucky media markets. One hundred and ninety-one people completed the survey. The average of all responses fell between the "strongly agree" and "agree" categories, validating the direction of the conversations at the public forums. A copy of the survey is available online, as well as a summary of the results and individual comments.One-on-One Interviews
Detailed interviews were conducted with professional administrators who have main perspectives slightly outside of the arts domain and whose work intersects or has potential to intersect with the arts in some mutually productive and beneficial ways:
STATE ORGANIZATIONS AND AGENCIES:
Mike
Childress, Kentucky Long Term Policy Research Center
Andy Downs,
Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
Sylvia Lovely, Kentucky League of
Cities
David Morgan, Kentucky Heritage Commission
Scott
Walter, Kentucky Heritage Commission
Roger Stapleton, Kentucky
Heritage Commission
MAIN STREET/RENAISSANCE KENTUCKY PROGRAMS:
Robin
Toffler, Paducah
Duff Giffen, Maysville
Sandra Wilson, Horse Cave
Julie Martin, Henderson
OTHERS:
Graham Pohl, Architect, Lexington
Rodney Berry, Citizens Committee on Education
The Sister Steps - Analysis and Synthesis
Analysis and synthesis were built into every phase of inquiry. As information built on information, ideas became woven into the fabric of the plan, so the final product reflects the consensus of many for the benefit of all.
Patterns of Thought (The Findings)
Over the course of six months of inquiry, broad themes began to emerge. These themes resounded over and over, regardless of the source, how the questions were framed, or what medium was used to collect the data. Stronger partnerships and collaborations, increased participation, organized local action, and expanded communications stand at the heart of the plan and set the strategic direction for the next five years.
Partnerships and Collaborative Efforts
Partnerships and collaborative efforts have value because they increase the effectiveness of efforts and make the best use of valuable and often limited resources. They also help create and sustain the community of interest and the positive energy that are hallmarks of the arts and make the arts so worthwhile an enterprise.
The types of partnerships brought to the forefront were familiar and new, vertical and lateral, practical and strategic. Local arts organizations can form stronger partnerships to create value for the arts across disciplines and act as a unified force in lobbying for public support. Arts partnerships cross generational and cultural lines as well as make connections with non-arts organizations such as churches, community centers, economic development entities, schools, colleges and local governments. These non-traditional partnerships build both social capital and economic capital for arts organizations and communities. Partnerships are also essential to providing networking and support functions for artists in the local community, and artists are encouraged to sit on more decision-making bodies at local, state and national levels.
Increased Participation
In this time of dwindling resources, increased participation is at the core of survival for the arts in Kentucky and, indeed, nationwide. As creators, audiences, donors and volunteers, there is much work to be done to remove the perceptual, practical and experiential barriers to greater participation in the arts. Increasing participation can take the focus of broadening the customer base, diversifying audiences with targeted outreach to underserved populations, and/or deepening the experience of those that already participate.
High recognition was given to making the arts accessible and inviting. Universal access evolves in communities at different paces: from federal legislation compliance issues, to doing the "right thing," to understanding the marketing potential for increased participation. Providing more opportunities for our young people to experience the arts and broadening the definition of the arts are key to removing perceptual barriers to participation for today and the future.
Action at the Local Level
With minor exception, the arts are produced and experienced at the local level. The capacity of the local community to work on behalf of its own arts environment is crucial. The input from the communities represents a sea change in perception, from a dependency on state support to communities empowered to deliver the arts.
Beyond forming local partnerships and collaborations, there is a need to increase the capacity for local research and cultural planning, and to include the arts in comprehensive school planning for effective action. There is merit for targeted technical assistance in effective marketing and business practices for artists and arts organizations. Networks of support for local artists, such as monthly social hours for artists across disciplines, Web-based chat rooms or directories of artists working in a particular locale could prove to be very useful. There is a need to identify and build on successful models of community development through the arts as demonstrated by efforts similar to the City of Paducah Artist Relocation Program.
Communications
The function of communications is as vital to creating an aggressive public awareness campaign to promote the arts, as it is to building organizational capacity, supporting partnerships, and increasing participation. Technology driven communications methods can provide better support to teachers, more awareness of opportunities for artists, and increase connectivity across arts disciplines. At the other extreme in information delivery, the face-to-face personal communications that the Arts Council's regional representatives provide to the local communities is often the best link the Arts Council has to its constituencies. There is a growing need for a unified information conduit on the statewide level, as well as information clearinghouses at the community level.
Strategic Directions (The Plan)
"In an era of fiscal constraint, it is
likely that governments will look increasingly to community-based
organizations, nonprofits, businesses, and citizens to forge partnerships and
relationships to meet new challenges."
-- Michael
Childress, Kentucky Long Term Policy Research Center
This plan sets out a framework meant to serve as a guide for the Arts Council and members of the arts community -- artists, arts organizations, arts patrons and supporters -- as they consider plans for action at the local, regional and state level. The plan is meant to stimulate increased movement toward a common vision for the arts in Kentucky and concerted efforts to achieve that vision.
The principles, approaches, and dominant themes included in the documentation serve as the basis for the Arts Council's strategic plan. This plan outlines the ways the Arts Council will support and contribute to the vision that "the people of Kentucky value and participate in the arts."
Goal 1. Arts Education
Education in the arts is provided by many different sources and on many different levels. The Arts Council will emphasize balance among age populations served. Grant programs and services will encourage partnerships, programs and activities at the local level that will provide more opportunities for young people to come into contact with the arts and will cross generations in the constituencies they serve. Because of the importance of introducing young people to the arts and the key role that schools serve in that function, the Arts Council will increase its efforts to strengthen its partnership with the Department of Education and seek ways to support teacher education and ongoing professional development in the arts. The Arts Council will advocate for drama and dance education certification in higher education and teacher training in embedding the arts across the curriculum. Because of the growing percentage of seniors in the population, greater attention will be paid to programs and activities that suit their interests and needs, and ways to integrate them more effectively into the broad range of arts activities.
Goal 2. Delivery of the Arts
At the heart of the delivery system, in providing grants, programs and services in the arts, the Arts Council is mandated to serve state wide and with optimal efficiency. The staff of the Arts Council will increase its role as a learning community to augment the knowledge base available to arts providers in the state. To strengthen programs and services at the local level, the Arts Council will encourage forums and exchanges, support regional arts planning, and provide models of best practices around the state. The Arts Council will recognize and connect communities working on common themes and support formation of strategic partnerships that cross cultural lines and bring together broad constituencies. The Arts Council will strengthen its partnerships with grantees to build greater capacity for delivering the arts in Kentucky and will continue to strengthen its internal systems for greater efficiency and accountability.
Goal 3. Support for Artists
If we are to value art, we must ensure that artists (those that create art) live and work in a supportive environment. This goal entails providing direct support for individual artists, developing systems of patronage and support at the local and state level, and enhancing the public perception about the arts. Direct support includes technical assistance to professional artists for effective business and marketing practices, and support for working with developers, financial institutions, and local governments to engage them in efforts to broaden options for artists' living and working spaces. Indirect support includes endeavors for greater support from local businesses and governments, so that they assist with training programs, apprenticeships, and sponsorships for individual artists. The Arts Council will advocate for artist parity in meeting basic living needs and inclusion of artists of all abilities. Enhancing the public perception includes increased marketing and public relations efforts, as well as support for public arts projects and events.
Goal 4. Value for the Arts
The arts are basic to life. The challenge lies in establishing that role for the arts as a societal value. At the state level, the Arts Council will provide information about the power of the arts and will encourage relevant state agencies to include arts in their research, planning and evaluations, as well as, promotional materials and publicity. The Arts Council will support local communities in strengthening relationships across public, private and civic sectors, and with ongoing economic development efforts, such as Main Street and Renaissance Kentucky projects. Specific connections will be made between arts activities and the goals that Kentuckians consistently rank as most important to them in the Kentucky Long Term Policy Research Center study.
Goal 5. Public Policy and the Arts
The Arts Council will continue to work collaboratively with its many constituencies, Kentucky Citizens for the Arts, and Arts Kentucky to promote public value for the arts and make relevant connections between arts delivery and the political process. The Arts Council will increase its efforts in compiling research and data collection and provide access to such information to promote grassroots support for the arts. The Arts Council will encourage action at the local level that encourages arts participants to engage local elected officials, state legislators, the governor and Kentucky's congressional delegation, local chambers of commerce, businesses, school boards, and other organizations whose support is crucial in securing adequate funding and favorable legislation.
Return to KAC Long-Range Plan Index
