The City of Paducah and West Kentucky Community and Technical College are getting $25,000 for a proposed interactive art park.
The National Endowment for the Arts awarded the Our Town grant. The NEA's Our Town program encourages local partnerships that integrate design and the arts into the fabric of communities and that serve as a vehicle for economic revitalization.
WKCTC’s Foundation, Paducah Junior College Inc., will match the Our Town grant, for a total of $50,000 going towards the project.
The park will be adjacent to the Paducah School of Art and Design and will include rotating art exhibits and features.
PSAD director Paul Aho said the grant will allow WKCTC to engage with artists from across the country to present a vision for the park.
WKCTC President Anton Reece said U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and U.S. Representative James Comer helped secure the grant for the park.
"I was proud to support West Kentucky Community and Technical College's application to secure the necessary funds to foster the cultural heritage of this region," said McConnell. "By using the school's available public space, the entire Paducah community can enjoy the benefits of the Interactive Art Park. In addition, WKCTC students can utilize the skills they learn to continue to support the city's economic growth and artistic experience."
Comer said he looks forward to the lasting impact of the creative center, which he said he will create a public forum to enrich and facilitate artistic discussion.
Paducah is one of 60 NEA Our Town grant recipients in the nation.
Paducah received an Our Town grant in 2017 for the Market House Theater's 'Next Stage' campaign.
This post has been updated.
