Newsroom

Wholesale buyer registration is still open, but space is limited 

There is still time for wholesale buyers to register for the Kentucky Crafted Market, and this year’s event offers even more reasons to attend. Wholesale buyers’ day will be held Friday, March 6, from 10 am to 5 p.m. at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Alltech Arena.  In addition to a strong roster of returning Kentucky Crafted … Continued

Literary artists: $7,500 and $1,000 grant applications now open

Applications are now open for the Individual Artist Fellowship and the Emerging Artist Award in literary arts (fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, play/screenwriting). Applicants may apply for either a fellowship or an emerging artist award. The deadline to apply is March 15 for both programs.   Individual Artist Fellowship  The Individual Artist Fellowship is a highly competitive $7,500 award for working professional Kentucky artists who have demonstrated … Continued

Volunteers needed for the 2026 Kentucky Crafted Market 

The Kentucky Crafted Market returns to Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park on March 6–8, 2026, celebrating the work of more than 120 of Kentucky’s finest artists and craftspeople. In addition to shopping, the Market features live music, artist demonstrations, and hands-on activities for all ages.  Volunteers play a vital role in making the … Continued

Free Webinar: Copyright for Creatives 

On Thursday, Feb. 19 at 11 a.m. Eastern, the Kentucky Arts Council will provide a free Creative Industry Summit Series workshop, “Overview of Copyright for Creatives.” This event will provide an introduction to copyright law with a particular emphasis on how copyright impacts artists across disciplines. This webinar will help answer questions about the legal rights … Continued

2026 Poetry Out Loud State Championship Scheduled for Feb. 12

Students compete as part of national arts education event at Farish Theater in Fayette County FRANKFORT, Ky. (Feb. 3, 2026) – The Kentucky Arts Council will host the 2026 Kentucky Poetry Out Loud State Championship on Feb. 12, 2026. This year’s event will begin at 10:30 a.m. EST at the Farish Theater at the Lexington … Continued

Ready To Respond: Weather Preparedness and Response Communication

On Feb. 11 at 11 a.m. Eastern, the Kentucky Arts Council will host a free webinar, Ready to Respond: Weather Preparedness and Response Communication, as part of this year’s Creative Industry Summit Series.  Led by Leah Hamilton, UK assistant professor and administrator for the Kentucky Heritage Emergency Response Network (KHERN), in partnership with Jane Marie Wix, warning coordination meteorologist with the National … Continued

Collecting Creativity: Pairing Carl the Collector with Ability-Inclusive Art Activities

The Kentucky Arts Council will offer a free Creative Industry Summit Series on Feb. 10 at 5 p.m. Eastern. Presented in partnership with Kentucky Education Television and Arts for All, this session features “Carl the Collector,” a PBS KIDS series that celebrates the many ways children think, learn, communicate, and express themselves—while building confidence and … Continued

Now Accepting Folk and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Grant Applications 

The Kentucky Arts Council is now accepting applications for the Folk and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Grant. This program provides $4,000 to a Kentucky mentor folk or traditional artist to teach skills, practices, and culture to a less-experienced artist in their community over the course of a year. The deadline to apply is March 31.   … Continued

Gov. Beshear: Kentucky Arts Council Awards $1.2 Million in Grants to Nonprofits

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Jan. 15, 2026) – Today, Gov. Andy Beshear announced that 112 nonprofit arts organizations across the commonwealth will benefit from more than $1.2 million in funding in the 2026 fiscal year through the Kentucky Arts Council’s Kentucky Arts Partnership (KAP) grant.  “The arts are essential to Kentucky, our people and our future. Not … Continued

Kentucky Crafted Market: an invitation to wholesale buyers

Dear Wholesale Buyer,  We look forward to welcoming you to the 2026 Kentucky Crafted Market, the premier wholesale buying event for Kentucky-made art, craft and specialty products. This year’s wholesale buyer’s day will take place March 6 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park.    The Kentucky Crafted Market … Continued

Carrying Traditions Forward: Foodways, Foraging, and Folk Healing in Kentucky 

The Kentucky Arts Council will host a free webinar on Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 11 a.m. Eastern, featuring two traditional artists whose work reflects foodways, foraging, and folk healing practices rooted in eastern and central Kentucky.  This online narrative stage highlights Linelle Rivera Rodriguez and Yani Vozos, both participants in the Kentucky Arts Council’s Folk … Continued

Applications open for new Kentucky Arts Rising Grant  

The Kentucky Arts Council is now accepting applications for the new Kentucky Arts Rising (KAR) Grant, a program created to support small, community-based arts and cultural organizations that provide year-round arts programming for Kentuckians. Kentucky Arts Rising offers $1,500 in operational support to help strengthen and sustain grassroots arts organizations with limited operating budgets. This … Continued

The Kentucky Arts Council Welcomes New Kentucky Crafted Artists

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Dec. 10, 2025) – The Kentucky Arts Council has accepted 26 new artists into its prestigious Kentucky Crafted program. The Kentucky Crafted initiative supports visual and craft artists with business training, networking, exhibitions and promotional opportunities to help grow their small businesses.   The program offers participants the chance to showcase their work at … Continued

Emerging Artist Award Recipients FY 2026

Kentucky Arts Council is happy to announce the Emerging Artist Award recipients for Fiscal Year 2026.

Individual Artist Fellowship Recipients FY 2026

Kentucky Arts Council is happy to announce the Individual Artist Fellowship recipients for Fiscal Year 2026.

The Kentucky Arts Council Board to Meet Dec. 5

The board meeting will be held in-person at the Kentucky Artisan Center in Berea. FRANKFORT, Ky. (Dec. 3, 2025) — The Kentucky Arts Council fourth quarter board meeting will be held from 10:00 a.m. to noon ET, December 5 at the Kentucky Artisan Center, 200 Artisan Way, Berea, KY 40403.   The meeting will be simulcast … Continued

The Kentucky Arts Council Awards $466,000 in America250KY Grants

Funding will support 39 arts organizations and 16 artists across the commonwealth FRANKFORT, Ky. (Dec. 1, 2025) – Building on the momentum of the New Kentucky Home initiative and the commonwealth’s commitment to commemorating America’s 250th anniversary, the Kentucky Arts Council (KAC) has awarded $466,000 to support artists, arts organizations, communities and cultural institutions in … Continued

Good Acoustics: Sound Fundamentals so You Sound Great

Professional sound expert Heath Eric will share the fundamentals of audio reinforcement to ensure that performers sound their best during live performances. The webinar will include advice on running your own sound from the stage, easy tech setups, and tips and tricks for professional sound.

Arts Access Assistance Grants: Application now open!

The Kentucky Arts Council is now accepting applications for the Arts Access Assistance (AAA) grant, a program designed to support arts and health programming. The arts council is seeking proposals that use arts-based strategies to enhance the health and well-being of individuals and communities, aligning with the goals of Our Healthy Kentucky Home. Grants of … Continued

2025 Education Award: Wilma Bethel

For more than 50 years, Wilma Johnson Bethel has shared her passion for art and creativity with generations of Kentucky students. A native of Mount Sterling, Bethel discovered her love of art at an early age, inspired by a family of makers. From early lessons in observation and imitation, she developed a lifelong belief that every person possesses the spark of creativity.

2025 National Award: Teddy Abrams

Grammy Award-winning conductor, composer, and musical visionary Teddy Abrams is now entering his twelfth season as Music Director of the Louisville Orchestra. Abrams has transformed the ensemble into a national model for artistic innovation, community engagement, and creative renewal.   “By bringing new works to life in collaboration with local musicians from many genres, Abrams is … Continued

2025 Artist Award: Sam McKinney

Kentucky sculptor Sam McKinney has shaped the artistic landscape of the commonwealth. A native of eastern Kentucky, McKinney’s work reflects a profound reverence for the natural world and for the Appalachian region that has inspired him throughout his life. His career stands as a testament to both artistic mastery and enduring dedication to the craft.  

2025 Milner Award: Steve Wilson & Laura Lee Brown

Entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and champions of contemporary art and Kentucky culture, Steve Wilson and Laura Lee Brown have redefined how art can intersect with community, hospitality, and conservation. Wilson and Brown have become leading benefactors for cultural and environmental organizations across Kentucky and beyond.  Their work continues to inspire new generations to imagine what’s possible when … Continued

2025 Community Arts Award: Owensboro Art Guild

Founded in the early 1960s by a group of artists and educators seeking connection and shared purpose, the Owensboro Art Guild began with a simple idea: to support one another and to present high-quality art to the public. That vision gave rise to its first juried exhibition in 1963, held in a vacant house on … Continued

2025 Folk Heritage Award: Lakshmi Sriraman

An accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer, educator, and visual artist, Lakshmi Sriraman has spent her life preserving and reimagining the traditional arts of South India while enriching Kentucky’s cultural landscape. Through performance, teaching, and community engagement, she has become a bridge between ancient artistic traditions and contemporary expression, embodying the transformative power of art as both a spiritual and social force. 

Applications are open for New Arts Education Grant Program

The Kentucky Arts Council is now accepting applications for the new Creative Chapters Library Program Grant. The Creative Chapters Library Program (CCLP) Grant enables public libraries to implement artist residencies in their year-round schedules. Librarians and artists work in partnership to design and implement the residencies. Proposed residencies may be focused on a specific artistic discipline or explore educational pairings such … Continued

Free Webinar! Kentucky Folklife Magazine: Stories of Community Scholars

The Kentucky Arts Council will host a free webinar on Wed., Nov. 19, at 11 a.m. Eastern/10 a.m. Central featuring stories from the newest issue of Kentucky Folklife Digital Magazine, a publication of the Kentucky Folklife Program. This Creative Industry Summit Series webinar features Yolantha Harrison-Pace of Boyle County and Brenda Bear of Lewis County, … Continued

Free Webinar! Arts Education Milestones: How the Standards Direct the Path

Join Academic Program Consultant Jessica Greene to take a closer look at the Anchor Standards and their unifying elements. Participants will reflect on their own personal milestones in music education. Process components and their purpose as actionable milestones for students will also be explored.

Free Webinar! Advocacy Strategies for Kentucky Investment in the Arts

Join Kentuckians for the Arts board chair Lori Meadows for this important webinar designed to equip nonprofit arts and creative organizations across Kentucky with the tools and strategies needed to advocate effectively.

Kentucky Arts Council Board to Meet September 19

The board meeting will be held in-person at the Woodford Theatre in Versailles. FRANKFORT, Ky. (Sept. 17, 2025) — The Kentucky Arts Council’s third-quarter board meeting will be held on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025, from 1-3 p.m. Eastern at the Woodford Theatre, 275 Beasley Drive, Versailles, Ky.     The meeting will be simulcast via Zoom.  Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android here.   The … Continued

Performing Artists Directory Applications are Now Open

The Kentucky Arts Council is accepting applications for the Performing Artists Directory (PAD), an adjudicated roster of professional Kentucky performing artists who have an established performance history. The deadline to apply is Oct. 15. It is a marketing program that offers roster artists professional development and a variety of opportunities to promote their performance work. Additionally, the … Continued

Submit your activities to the Kentucky Arts Council’s event calendar

The Kentucky Arts Council invites arts, cultural and community organizations to submit upcoming public events for inclusion on the Events Calendar.  To be considered, events must:  All submissions are subject to approval by the Kentucky Arts Council.

Applications open for second round of Kentucky Arts Council America250KY Grants 

The Kentucky Arts Council is now accepting applications for the second round of America250KY Grants through August 24, 2025, for projects taking place within the grant period of Oct. 1, 2025, through Sept. 1, 2026.  As the United States prepares to commemorate 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, the commonwealth … Continued

Creative Industry Summit Series Survey

The Kentucky Arts Council is looking for feedback as we begin scheduling our upcoming Creative Industry Summit Series. The arts council hosts webinars and online workshops featuring notable Kentucky and national artists, best practices for arts organizations, artist professional development and more. All webinars are archived on the KAC YouTube Channel.   We are asking artists and … Continued

Registration for Poetry Out Loud 2026 is now open!

Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for high school students across the country. Participating students must be in grades 9 through 12, and any representative of a Kentucky public or private high school may apply. Each participating school receives … Continued

Celebrating the Black Experience Art Exhibit Launches Kentucky Tour 

The Kentucky Arts Council launched the Celebrating the Black Experience touring art exhibit this month. The fourth annual exhibit, presented by the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage (KCAAH), includes artists from all over Kentucky, and some from Indiana, Virginia, Tennessee, Illinois, Florida and Zimbabwe. Media includes fiber art, wood sculpture, textiles, copper, acrylic and oil paintings, drawings, and mixed media work with innovative … Continued

The Kentucky Arts Council Board to Meet June 20  

FRANKFORT, Ky. (June 13, 2025) — The Kentucky Arts Council second quarter board meeting will be held Friday, June 20, 2025 from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm Eastern at the Singletary Center President’s Room at 405 Rose Street, Lexington, Ky.  The meeting will be simulcast via Zoom. Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android.   … Continued

Applications are Now Open for the Kentucky Crafted Program

The Kentucky Arts Council is now accepting applications for its Kentucky Crafted Program, the commonwealth’s premier marketing initiative for professional visual and craft artists.  Kentucky Crafted provides networking, promotional and sales opportunities, as well as arts business training, to support the success of Kentucky artists. Adjudicated artists accepted into the program receive statewide and national exposure … Continued

March 2025 Board Minutes

Celebrating the Black Experience

The Kentucky Center for African American Heritage is collaborating with the Kentucky Arts Council to bring the annual art exhibition, Celebrating the Black Experience, to locations across the commonwealth. Join curators Aukram Burton and Julia Youngblood as they present two visual artists from the exhibit, Nahla Joy of Louisville and Derek King Jr. of Lexington. This free webinar will take place Wed., June 4, 2025, 11 … Continued

Creative Industry Summit Series: New Generations of Storytellers

The Kentucky Arts Council presents a free webinar, New Generations of Storytellers, on May 14 from 11 a.m. to noon Eastern. Meet Appalachian storytellers Hasan Davis and Mitch Barrett, both of Madison County, Ky. Hasan and Mitch are mentor artists participating in the arts council’s Folk and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship program. This year, they are teaching storytelling traditions to … Continued

AI and Arts Administration: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bot

Join the Kentucky Arts Council’s Creative Industry Summit Series on May 16, 2025, at 2 p.m. Eastern. In this free webinar, arts administrator Joshua Brown will explore the impact of Artificial Intelligence in the workplace and how to use AI tools to improve your practice. Brown believes AI tools can empower artists, patrons, and grantees … Continued

Teaching Art Together Grant application is open!

The Kentucky Arts Council is now accepting applications for the 2025-26 school year for the Teaching Arts Together Grant.    With the Teaching Art Together Grant, teachers can implement one to 10-day teaching artist residencies in their PreK-12th grade classrooms. All artists have been carefully juried by a panel of arts education professionals and selected for inclusion in the Teaching … Continued

Governor’s Derby Exhibit is now open!

The 2025 Governor’s Derby Exhibit is now open in the Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort. The work of 44 artists from across Kentucky, curated by the Kentucky Arts Council, will be on display through May 29. The exhibit, which carries the theme “Spring is Here,” opened April 30. Visiting hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. … Continued

Creating a Marketing Plan for Your Art Business; a Step-by-Step Guide to Marketing Your Artwork Effectively

The Kentucky Arts Council will host a free webinar with Dr. Rachel Shane on May 21 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., focusing on marketing essentials for artists who want to sell their work, build their reputation, and connect with the right audience. This workshop offers a step-by-step framework for creating a personalized marketing plan … Continued

Applications open for Kentucky Peer Advisory Network

Applications are now being accepted for the Kentucky Arts Council’s Kentucky Peer Advisory Network (KPAN).  The network is open to all arts organizations, community groups and eligible individual artists interested in arts-related technical assistance. Applicants must be Kentucky residents, Kentucky-based organizations or serve Kentuckians in a significant way. Organizations do not need to be Kentucky … Continued

Nominations open for 2025 Governor’s Awards in the Arts 

The Kentucky Arts Council is accepting nominations through May 31 for the 2025 Governor’s Awards in the Arts.  The awards recognize individuals and organizations that have made extraordinary and significant contributions to the arts in Kentucky. The nomination process is coordinated by the arts council, and more information about the process is available here: https://artscouncil.ky.gov/program/governors-award-in-the-arts-nominations/  … Continued

Writers’ Day Activities to take place April 24

The public is invited to attend the 2025 Writers’ Day activities in Frankfort on April 24. Kentucky Writers’ Day is an annual celebration on or around the birthday of Kentucky writer Robert Penn Warren, the first United States Poet Laureate. The Writers’ Day celebration was established in 1990, and poets laureate are inducted in odd-numbered years. This year’s … Continued

Nominations open for 2025 Governor’s Awards in the Arts 

The Kentucky Arts Council is accepting nominations through May 31 for the 2025 Governor’s Awards in the Arts.  The awards recognize individuals and organizations that have made extraordinary and significant contributions to the arts in Kentucky. The nomination process is coordinated by the arts council, and more information about the process is available here.  Eligibility … Continued

Accepting artwork for the Governor’s Derby Exhibit

Theme: “Spring is Here!”  Exhibit runs from April 30 – May 2 The Kentucky Arts Council invites all Kentucky visual artists to submit work for consideration in the upcoming Governor’s Derby Exhibit April 30-May 29, 2025. The works selected for the exhibit will be on display in the Capitol Rotunda, and available for viewing by … Continued