Contact Information

Sarah Bowker
Communications Director

419 Charles E. Barnhart Building Lexington, KY 40546-0276

CEDIK@lsv.uky.edu

Community Arts

Community Arts

Community Arts Extension

Art for Engaged Communities

Enriching communities through creative approaches to engagement with the people that live there.

Kentucky Community Arts Extension develops and promotes support for arts education and development in Kentucky counties, coordinated in partnership with University of Kentucky College of Fine ArtsCooperative Extension and other local, state, and national arts organizations. 

Community Arts program resources are delivered through County Extension Professionals embedded in 8 Kentucky counties and at the State level. This programming serves diverse needs of Kentucky residents and is quick to adapt to the interests of local populations by creatively engaging communities through art activities, events, public art and performances and more. Community Arts also offers training opportunities for Extension professionals, community leaders, and volunteers. 

Are you ready to LEARN MORE about how art creates community change?

These articles document creative, research-based approaches to community engagement, livability, well-being and recovery.

Publications

Story Circle photo

Are you ready to ENGAGE and INSPIRE your community with art?

Learn about opportunities that Community Arts provides for the development of artistic skills and creative thinking in Kentucky communities.

Arts Programming and Engagement

Mandala photo

Are you ready to ENHANCE your community through Creative Placemaking?

Community Arts Extension supports intentional and creative community development through the strengthening of place identity.

Creative Placemaking

community arts event booth

About Community Arts

Kentucky Community Arts Extension has pioneered the use of grass-roots level, county based arts extension agents and assistants to conduct community development through the arts.

Mission

Kentucky Community Arts Extension improves the quality of life for communities and individuals in Kentucky through a multidisciplinary arts approach in education, research, and outreach.

Mary Poppins childrens theatre at Artist Collaborative Theatre photo

Strategy

Providing arts leadership, curriculum development and engagement at the county, regional, and state level through Community Arts Extension Agents, Support Staff, Associates, Specialists, and Faculty to impact 3 core areas - the Arts Extension Strategic Initiatives.

Strategic Initiatives:

Quality Arts Engagement

High Quality Arts Engagement, Increasing Access to Quality Arts Experiences, and Volunteer Recruitment & Development.

Enhancing Essential Skills

Direct Arts Programming, Artistic Skill Development, and Essential Skill Development.

Community & Economic Development

Community Design/Placemaking, Enhancing the Creative Economy, and Arts & Community Health.

Goal

To provide community and economic development, quality arts engagement, and essential skill enhancement while creating a resilient arts ecosystem through the Cooperative Extension infrastructure and framework.

pottery wheel class photo

Looking for specific Community Arts Resources by topic?

Search by topic for publications, resources and activities to infuse your community with art and creativity.

Arts in Health

Art can help

These arts resources can offer health and wellness benefits to residents of your community.

Arts in Health Resources

Disaster Recovery

disaster recovery volunteer photo

These resources can guide your creative community through preparedness, response, and long-term recovery for weather-related disasters and other unforeseen circumstances. 

Disaster Recovery Resources

Creative Engagement

Creative Engagement Folks around a table

Explore ways to engage with your community creatively and with intention.

Creative Engagement Resources

Skills-Building

weaving class

These resources focus on building arts skills in different media.

Skills-Building Resources

Youth Arts

youth arts photo girl tie-dying

These resources provide visual arts experiences with simple materials and the opportunity to extend learning through other extension programming.

Youth Arts Resources

Program Contact:

Melissa Bond

Program Leader, Community Arts Extension

859-257-7272 melissa.bond@uky.edu 404 C.E. Barnhart Building Lexington, KY 40546

Contact Information

Sarah Bowker
Communications Director

419 Charles E. Barnhart Building Lexington, KY 40546-0276

CEDIK@lsv.uky.edu