Arts and CreativityPlan of Work

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Whitley County CES

Title:
Arts and Creativity
MAP:
Community Arts Engagement
Agents Involved:
Moses, Daniels, Robinson, Dengel
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Community Design/Creative Placemaking
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
E-Commerce for Artisans
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Arts Engagement
MAJOR PROGRAM 4:
Building Healthy Coalitions
Situation:

The Whitley County Extension Fine Arts Council has identified enhancing artisan skills, community poverty rates, citizen engagement, and a qualified workforce as pressing concerns for Whitley County Extension to address. According to Americans for the Arts, “The arts are integral to the lives of our citizens. The arts are essential to the health and vitality of our communities and our nation.” In the rapidly changing (and challenging) times in which we live, the arts can address county poverty, resident vitality, and a vibrant local economy.


Data from The College Board shows that students who take four years of arts and music classes while in high school score 98 points better on their SATs than students who took only one-half year or less. It is clear that the arts, music, creative writing, drawing, and dance, provide skills that contribute to increased quality of life. Not only does participation in arts programming and artisan entrepreneurship create a skilled and educated workforce for local community businesses to have quality employees, but it also contributes to resilient families and communities, vibrant culture, and significant economic impact to local residents.

Long-Term Outcomes:

Whitley County residents will recognize Extension Fine Arts as a valuable provider of educational, economic, and social opportunities and skills within the arts.

Whitley County will have a strong, healthy community arts coalition that links artists, businesses, students, potential employees, and citizens to increase quality workforce and economic opportunity within the region.

Whitley County will have a vibrant arts economy.

To develop a county rich in appreciation, talent, and training of and in all areas of the arts

Residents will have increased appreciation of the arts.

Whitley County will grow artistically in conjunction with our economic growth, making Whitley County an increasingly vibrant place to live.

Intermediate Outcomes:

Residents will recognize that art is an intergral part of life.

They will share their interests and skills with others

Businesses, private donors and public officials financially support Whitley County Fine ArtsI

To increase recognition of the arts and the importance of the arts within Williamsburg, Corbin, and all rural communities within the county.

Whitley County will identify opportunities for creative placemaking and community design.

Initial Outcomes:

Residents gain new skills in the arts.

Create a sense of connection to community through the arts.

Provide positive wholesome extracurricular activities for all members of family and at-risk residents. More citizens aspire to volunteer in in fine arts programing and events.

More students believe they can carve an artistic, yet financially solvent career.

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome:

Indicator: Continue and growth of established events and local participation

Method: Focus Groups?Surveys

Timeline: 2017-2018


Intermediate Outcome:

Indicator: Growth in Participation

Method: Focus Groups/Email lists/Social Media numbers/Conversations

Timeline: 2017-2020


Long-term Outcome:

Indicator: Knowledge of organization and resources

Method: Surveys

Timeline: 2019-2020

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Residents, Artists, Farmers

Project or Activity: Appalachian Winter Market

Content or Curriculum: Event Coordinators

Inputs: Fine Arts Agent

Date: December- Ongoing


Audience: General Public/Families

Project or Activity: Night of the Living Tread-Bicycle event

Content or Curriculum: 4-H Bicycle curriculum, FSC physical activity curriculum

Inputs: Agents

Date: Fall-ongoing


Audience: General Public

Project or Activity: Community Wreath Making

Content or Curriculum: Natural Resource Publication, 4-H curriculum, AG curriculum, Hort Curriculum

Inputs: Fine Arts Agent, Hort Agent, Volunteers

Date: December-ongoing



Audience: Residence

Project or Activity: Stories from around the world

Content or Curriculum: UK public Speaking Curriculum, UK international Publications

Inputs: Fine Arts Agent, FCS Agent, University of the Cumberlands, volunteers, College students,

Date: Spring and Fall- ongoing


Audience: Residence

Project or Activity: Pottery Program

Content or Curriculum: UK publication, KET, curriculum,

Inputs: Fine Arts Agent, UK faculty, Volunteers, Artists

Date: Monthly-ongoing


Audience: General Public

Project or Activity: Basket Weaving

Content or Curriculum: UK basket curriculum, small business development Curriculum

Inputs: Fine Arts Agent, FCS Agent, Local Basket Artisans, Volunteers

Date: Monthly


Audience: General Public/Families

Project or Activity: Hike and Sketch

Content or Curriculum: UK physical activity publications, Hort Publications

Inputs: Fine Arts Agent, Hort agent

Date: Summer


Audience: General Public/Families

Project or Activity: Mother Earth Bicycle Ride- Earth Week celebration

Content or Curriculum: UK publication, Health Department

Inputs: Agents, Volunteers, Whitley County Health Department, Whitley County Bicycle Coalition

Date: April


Audience: General

Project or Activity: Whitley County Meets Art

Content or Curriculum: 4-H art curriculum, UK publications, Extension

Inputs: Fine Arts Agent, Kentucky Arts Council exhibits, Arts Organization, Whitley County Schools, Professional Instructor, Local Artists

Date: Yearly-ongoing



Audience: Families and Children

Project or Activity: Early Childhood Development through Creativity

Content or Curriculum: Art to the Heart-KET

Inputs: Fine Arts agent, Whitley County Health Department, UK, Volunteers

Date: 2017-2020


Audience: High School Age Students

Project or Activity: YELP Arts

Content or Curriculum: UK YELP

Inputs: Agents, Volunteers, Artists, Local organizations

Date: Aug 2016-May-2017


Audience: Community Organizations, Residents

Project or Activity: Whitley County Spokespeople-Bicycle Group

Content or Curriculum: Leadership and Community Planning Materials

Inputs: Agents

Date: Ongoing


Audience: Residents

Project or Activity: Community Bicycle Ride

Content or Curriculum: Leadership Material, Physical activity Publications

Inputs: Agents, Resident Volunteers, Community Organizations

Date: Monthly


Audience: Whitley County Youth and Families

Project or Activity: After School Art Classes

Content or Curriculum: Extension Fine Arts

Inputs: Fine Arts Agent, Artists

Date: Aug-May


Audience: Whitley County Residence

Project or Activity: Earth Day/Week

Content or Curriculum: Community Organizations, Publication, Art

Inputs: Agents, community leaders, Whitley County Health department, NRCS, other local organizations and businesses

Date: April-ongoing


Audience: Whitley County Residents

Project or Activity: Community Education Classes

Content or Curriculum: Music, Art, Gardening, youth activities etc.

Inputs: Agents, Assistants, Community Leaders, Local Artist

Date: Farmers Markets


Audience: General Public

Project or Activity: Enhancing Business and Marketing Skills of Eastern Kentucky Artist

Content or Curriculum: Artisan Education Curriculum, STLW

Inputs: Fine Arts agent, Local Artist

Date: Winter


Audience: Whitley County School Teachers

Project or Activity: Professional Development for Art Teachers

Content or Curriculum: Fine Arts Classes, 4-H curriculum

Inputs: Fine Arts agent

Date: Ongoing


Audience: Home Gardeners

Project or Activity: Art in the Garden Workshop Series

Content or Curriculum: 4-H curriculum

Inputs: Materials, Fine Arts and Horticulture Agents, and video tutorials

Date: Summer


Audience: General Public

Project or Activity: Mobile Art Unit

Content or Curriculum: 4-H curriculum, Fine Arts Classes, Exhibits

Inputs: Fine Arts agent, Fine Arts Council, volunteers, local artists

Date: 2018-2020


Audience: General Public

Project or Activity: Old Fashioned Trading Days Quilt Show

Content or Curriculum: Tourism/CEDIK

Inputs: Homemakers, FCS Agent

Date: September 2016-2020


Audience: General Public, Youth and Families, Farmers

Project or Activity: Extension Arts Corner at the Whitley County Farmers Markets

Content or Curriculum: Art activities, Artist Demonstrations, Educational materials

Inputs: Artists, Volunteers, Fine Arts Agent

Date: Summer, Saturdays, Weekly,  April-August




Success Stories

Open Pottery Summer Session

Author: Cortney Moses

Major Program: Artistic Skill Development

Cortney Moses, Fine Arts agent and Fine Arts council members sensed a need in the community for a pottery program. The Fine Arts program has been building the pottery studio, working with local artists, training volunteers, and offering classes since the donation of 2 kilns and a pottery wheel in 2013.  It was now time to take it a step further.  Our first, Open Pottery winter session began December 2016 and ran through February 2017. Once a week for 11 weeks participants of all ages w

Full Story

ARTifact: 20 Decades of Whitley County Art Exhibit

Author: Cortney Moses

Major Program: Increasing Access to Quality Arts Experiences

2018 is Whitley County’s Bicentennial, for the month of April the City government has a calendar full of activities planned celebrating the unique history, people and places. For the past year the Whitley County Extension Fine Arts Agent Cortney Moses worked with the city government, city council members, tourism and community volunteers to help plan events for the celebration. The Extension Community Art Center is located on main street of Williamsburg city across from City Hall. Fine Art

Full Story

Using Art as a Language

Author: Cortney Moses

Major Program: Increasing Access to Quality Arts Experiences

Having a very low percentage of Hispanic population in Whitley County at 1.3 percent, it is the responsibility of the Whitley County Extension Fine Arts program to promote inclusivity in all our programs and events.During our monthly Mountain Textiles art group meeting, we had a participant visiting from Chile. The participant was a senior female that had previous experience with the Batik technique that was being taught that night. Batik is an Indonesian fabric dying technique using wax resista

Full Story

Volunteer Development in the Arts

Author: Cortney Moses

Major Program: Volunteer Engagement in the Arts

In January, Cortney Moses, Whitley County’s Fine Arts Agent, was contacted by Berea Tourism’s Writer and Arts Consultant. She was in desperate need of a seasoned basket artist who would be willing to teach a class at Berea’s annual Festival of LearnShops. Cortney has attended the festival for two years and participated in many of the classes. The festival is well organized and the classes are of high-art nature and the teaching artist are well qualified in their profession.Cort

Full Story
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