The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies Awards $77,500 Grant to the Kentucky Arts Council
Kentucky is one of 28 states to receive funding through the Creative Aging, Creative Futures program
FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 16, 2026) – Team Kentucky has secured $77,500 through the Creative Aging, Creative Futures program, a national initiative of the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) and E.A. Michelson Philanthropy. As one of 28 states to receive funding nationwide, Kentucky’s grant will support high-quality arts learning opportunities for older adults across the commonwealth.
The program is designed to help older Kentuckians stay active and connected by empowering artists, partnering with public libraries and documenting the impact of lifelong learning in the arts.
The initiative will equip The Kentucky Arts Council’s (KAC) Teaching Artists Directory members to better design curriculum and programs that meet the needs of older adults. Artists will collaborate with participating public libraries to design and implement artist residencies funded through the arts council’s new Creative Chapters Library Program.
“The Kentucky Arts Council is committed to bringing the arts to all ages,” KAC Executive Director Chris Cathers said. “This investment allows us to thoughtfully adapt our arts education strategies to better serve every Kentuckian, while also connecting teaching artists to paid opportunities that expand their professional practice. By working through public libraries, we ensure that creative aging programming is accessible, community-centered and sustainable.”
Older adults are the fastest-growing population in Kentucky and represent a crucial and expanding audience for meaningful arts engagement. This project positions public libraries as hubs for in-depth arts programming tailored to older adults.
A distinctive feature of Kentucky’s project is its documentation component. The KAC will engage Kentucky Community Scholars trained in oral history, as well as photographic and ethnographic methodologies to document project activities. This peer-driven documentation will capture both artistic process and participant experience, creating a body of work that can be analyzed, shared and replicated in communities across the state.
The arts council is enthusiastic to expand its network of resources to include more older-adult-serving partners while adjusting its arts education approach to better fulfill its commitment to lifelong learning in a way that can be analyzed and replicated.
By strengthening artist training, incentivizing library partnerships and expanding relationships with organizations serving older adults, the Kentucky Arts Council aims to build a creative aging framework that is both impactful and adaptable.
For more information about the Kentucky Arts Council and the Creative Chapters Library Program, visit artscouncil.ky.gov.