A new exhibition at the Yeiser Art Center in Paducah celebrates the far western Kentucky city’s connection to other global art hubs through the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.
“Creative City Collaborations” features artwork from eight cities across the world. The exhibition also honors Paducah's 10th anniversary as a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Creative City.
Fewer than 300 cities have earned UNESCO’s Creative City designation, which recognizes areas that have placed “creative and cultural industries at the heart of their development plans” at the local level. Paducah, nicknamed Quilt City USA, is recognized as a Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art for its dedication to the textile arts.
Lexie Millikan, the executive director of Yeiser Art Center, said Paducah is one of only nine UNESCO Creative Cities in the U.S.
“There's only one other city of crafts and folk art in the U.S. And so it's a very, very special thing for Paducah to be part of this network of cities,” she said.
Millikan praised the exhibit for its multicultural and locally-rooted creative history.
“The exhibition has artwork from Paducah all the way to South Korea, to Thailand, to Indonesia, to Italy, and I think that’s pretty amazing that you can see that kind of artwork and that kind of collaboration in Paducah, Kentucky.”
The collection includes photography, sculpture, mixed media ceramics, textiles, and videography.
The exhibition will showcase local artists as well as art from other UNESCO cities around the world. Artist talks, panel discussions, musical performances, and workshops will be held throughout the exhibit’s dates. The free exhibit will be on display Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. until November 11th. There will be a reception featuring local cellist Seth Murphy on October 6th from 5 to 7 p.m.
