The Blue Moon
KAC Home Publications

  VOL. 10  NO. 5

 September/October 2003

In This Issue
bullet Folklife Festival Returns
bullet On the National Front
 
bullet Arts Council News
 
bullet The Arts in Education
bullet Craft Marketing News
bullet Focus on Folklife
bullet Around Kentucky
 
bullet Resources and Reports
bullet START News Update
bullet Message From the Director
bullet Quotable Quote
bullet Hot Dates
 

Kentucky Arts Council logoEducation Pays logo

The BlueMoon is published bi-monthly by the Kentucky Arts Council. Please send comments, questions and information to The Blue Moon, Kentucky Arts Council, Old Capitol Annex, 300 West Broadway, Frankfort, KY 40601-1980 or call 502/564-3757V/TDD Toll Free: 1-888-833-2787
E-mail: kyarts@mail.state.ky.us

For other Kentucky
Government sites visit:

KY Direct logo

Start Logo

Kentucky START Update
One of the Kentucky Arts Council's goals for the State Arts Partnership for Cultural Participation (START) initiative is to effect change within the agency, thereby enabling us to better serve the people of the commonwealth. Over the past two years, the council has reviewed and evaluated all areas of internal operations including program structure, purpose and goals; guidelines and applications; policies and procedures; communication; and assessment. As we continue to move through this process of change we have adopted new terminology, and created more formalized definitions for commonly used terms. Much of this language will be incorporated into our print and electronic communications, including program guidelines and applications. Understanding the terms and information included in this update will enable potential grantees to better work in partnership with the arts council to provide arts programs and services to the people of Kentucky.

The Kentucky Arts Council is focusing much of our work on increasing our organizational capacity, or improving our internal management. Organizational capacity addresses many aspects of the agency, focusing on the best use of our resources to provide efficient statewide delivery of arts programs and services. When we speak of operational capacity, we are referring to the internal management of the agency, combined with our ability to work successfully with partners in order to accomplish our goals.

In order to determine the growth and development of the KAC's capacity, we will use different forms of performance measurement, the ongoing monitoring and reporting of program accomplishments. These measurements will be used to help assess programs and areas of internal management. Assessment will look at evidence of the growth of the work in order to improve performance. (Please see article on mid-point assessment in this issue of the Blue Moon.)

The Kentucky Arts Council recognizes those principles and standards that are important to us and should be reflected in all of our work as our values. The following Kentucky Arts Council values statements will be included in all program guidelines.

Kentucky Arts Council Values
The Kentucky Arts Council bases its work on the vision that the people of the commonwealth value and participate in the arts. Working in partnership with organizations and individuals to deliver arts programs and services throughout the state, we ask that applicants keep these guiding, overarching values in mind when applying for funding.

Diversity
The Kentucky Arts Council believes that arts programs and services should be accessible to all people of the commonwealth. The Council recognizes that communities are not limited to geographic boundaries, and that they may be defined by common factors such as occupation, recreation, religion, ethnicity, beliefs, etc. that are shared by a group of people. The members of these groups share a common culture and aesthetics. Unique and diverse art forms bring people together and can promote positive intercultural relations among the state's various communities, including:

  • persons of all ages
  • gay, lesbian and transgender communities
  • persons of all ethnic and racial groups
  • persons with disabilities
  • geographically or economically isolated communities
  • disadvantaged and at-risk persons
  • institutionalized persons

Preservation of Cultural Resources
The Kentucky Arts Council believes that the arts and cultural resources of Kentucky are key to understanding our heritage, and that honoring the past is important to this understanding. Recognizing that knowledge of our history will help build our future, we support identifying, documenting, conserving and protecting the cultural resources of this state, including:

  • cultural traditions
  • historic sites
  • historic structures

Advocacy
The Kentucky Arts Council believes in the importance of individuals and organizations advocating for the arts as basic to life. These are some of the ways in which you can help the Arts Council achieve public policy favorable to the arts in Kentucky:

  • involve your organization in the public life of your community
  • get to know your legislators and local officials and stay informed about the issues
  • involve your public officials in the activities of your organization
  • ask legislators and local officials to vote for your position
  • acknowledge public funding sources
  • discuss the value of the arts with your peers
  • designate one of your board members to be the advocacy contact for the organization

Much of the Kentucky START Initiative focuses on developing standards and practices to increase cultural participation. Broadening participation refers to serving more of the same people that you currently serve. By deepening participation you are serving the same people, but in a more frequent or intense manner. Diversifying participation describes serving different people from those currently participating.

The Kentucky START Initiative is funded by a grant from Wallace-Reader's Digest Funds (W-RDF). For more information about the national START initiative, visit www.arts4allpeople.org, a web community for those committed to building participation in the arts--successfully. For more information about the Kentucky START Initiative, contact Lori Meadows, Executive Staff Advisor, 1-888-833-2787.

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