Would you like to add a fine arts extension agent to your county’s cooperative extension program? Want to know how to bolster your local economy by supporting artists? Interested in learning about resources available to creative entrepreneurs? Want to know how businesses have thrived after integrating the arts into their operations?
All these questions and more will be answered at the Kentucky Arts Council’s second annual Kentucky Creative Industry Summit
The Creative Industry Summit, supported by presenting sponsors Berea College Crafts and the Kentucky Arts Council Board of Directors, promises to be an event that will appeal to more than just leaders in Kentucky’s arts community.
“We can’t emphasize enough how the dialogue at this summit will touch all aspects of community and economic development,” said Lori Meadows, arts council executive director. “Our speakers include elected officials, convention and visitors bureau professionals, university faculty, cooperative extension personnel, artists and community arts leaders from across the state.
“Attendees will come away from this summit having learned something new, and certainly they will come away with a notebook full of ideas on how they can boost their community’s profile and economic development by nurturing the arts in their cities and towns.”
More than 30 speakers are scheduled for the two-day summit including Pam Breaux, National Association of State Arts Agencies CEO; Jennifer Hughes, National Endowment for the Arts, design specialist; Leonardo Vazquez, National Consortium for Creative Placemaking executive director; Ron Payne, Owensboro mayor; Al Mattingly, Daviess County Judge-Executive; Mary Hammond, Paducah Convention and Visitors Bureau; Richard Young, North Limestone Community Development Corp. director of programs; Dean Dennis, Owensboro Convention Center general manager; Debbie Zuerner Johnson, Owensboro Health community outreach manager; Becky Naugle, Kentucky Small Business Development Center state director; Tim McNeilly, United States Department of Agriculture rural development coordinator; and Frank Tate, Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development.
“There is a lot of expertise packed into these two days,” Meadows said. “Community leaders across the Commonwealth will not want to miss this important opportunity to hear these speakers and to network among themselves. We anticipate many ideas coming out of the Creative Industry Summit.”
Registration for the summit is online at the arts council’s website