Art During Social Isolation

Author: Mawnie Belcher

Major Program: Increasing Access to Quality Arts Experiences

The Whitley County Extension Community Art Center has traditionally provided arts access to the residents of Whitley County via face-to-face, hands-on arts engagement classes.  Due to COVID-19, the Arts Extension staff has had to pivot their approach in order to best reach community members during this time of social distancing and social isolation.   In order to continue to provide high-quality arts experiences to Whitley county residents, the arts extension staff created Take Home Ar

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Curbside Art Kits

Author: Kristy Porter

Major Program: Increasing Access to Quality Arts Experiences

Beginning in March 2020, as a proactive reaction to closures and social distancing guidelines resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, Pike County Extension Fine Arts began providing on-the-go art activity kits to the community. Since then, over 600 kits have been distributed to the public. Recipients of these kits have ranged from groups of elementary school students, homebound adults, homeschooled students, and even nursing home residents.  These curbside kits are planned and assembled by th

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New Mural Includes Community Engagement Process

Author: Cortney Moses

Major Program: Increasing Access to Quality Arts Experiences

The Whitley County Community Art Center is gaining a new piece of artwork through a collaboration with the University of Kentucky College of Fine Arts.   The artist, Colin Glenn, is a senior at the School of Art and Visual Studies and has been working with Whitley County Fine Arts staff Cortney Moses and Mawnie Belcher to create a new, innovative mural for the community to enjoy. “The project came about through a grant partnership between the University of Kentucky Arts Extension

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Piloting New Fine Arts Programming

Author: Anne Stephens

Major Program: Increasing Access to Quality Arts Experiences

The Fine Arts Extension Program has been in existence in Kentucky for fifteen years. Kentucky is the first state to have dedicated arts agents at the county level to deliver programming under the Community and Economic Development heading. Because there is no other similar program from which to duplicate curriculum and programming targets, our programing has been formulated from a truly grass roots system. The UK Fine Arts Program Leader, Melissa Bond, has used the fifteen years of program

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Art During Social Isolation

Author: Cortney Moses

Major Program: Increasing Access to Quality Arts Experiences

The Whitley County Extension Community Art Center has traditionally provided arts access to the residents of Whitley County via face-to-face, hands-on arts engagement classes.  Due to COVID-19, the Arts Extension staff has had to pivot their approach in order to best reach community members during this time of social distancing and social isolation.   In order to continue to provide high-quality arts experiences to Whitley county residents, the arts extension staff created Take Home Ar

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Online Photography Contest and Exhibit

Author: Cortney Moses

Major Program: Increasing Access to Quality Arts Experiences

The Whitley County Extension Community Arts Center is a prime facility to host and curate art exhibits. Due to Covid-19 restrictions we had to think of new ways to create art exposure and interaction within our community. Our solution was to provide an online photography exhibit and competition through our existing social media outlets and our newly added YouTube page. To reach a wide range of demographics, the contest was promoted through email, social media, and local newspapers. For safety ac

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Take-Home Art Projects Increases Access in Kentucky Arts Extension Counties

Author: Melissa Bond

Major Program: Increasing Access to Quality Arts Experiences

In order to be responsive to Kentucky Residents’ needs during Covid-19, the Arts Extension teams in Greenup, Pike, and Whitley counties identified an opportunity to continue to provide hands-on arts instruction through socially distanced learning by creating take-home art packets for residents to experience.  These packets were targeted toward families confined within their home that have traditionally received instruction in-person at Cooperative Extension Offices.    &nbsp

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