Kentucky’s musical heritage has long been one of its proudest exports. Artists like Bill Monroe, the Everly Brothers, the Judds, Nappy Roots, My Morning Jacket, Tyler Childers, Jack Harlow and Slint have all called the Bluegrass State home.
To help the commonwealth capitalize on its cultural cachet and fuel the creative economy in the years to come, Gov. Andy Beshear announced the creation of the Governor’s Office of Music Friday during an appearance at Bourbon & Beyond in Louisville, one of the state’s marquee music festivals.
“Music is a part of who we are in Kentucky,” Beshear said. “I created the Office of Music because Team Kentucky wants to make sure our commonwealth remains a place where musicians can build a career, where venues and festivals can thrive and where people can come together to enjoy great music.”
The office, as detailed in a state release, will be dedicated to supporting Kentucky’s artists, venues, festivals and music businesses, as well as highlighting the state’s musical legacy. Beshear signed an executive order on Friday to establish it, making Kentucky just the second state to dedicate an office to its music industry and musicians.
With the announcement, the state launched a new website for the office to house its Kentucky Music Industry Directory – a resource meant to connect and encourage collaboration between artists, venues and businesses across the commonwealth scene – and to promote the new “Kentucky: Sounds Like Home” license plate celebrating the commonwealth’s music legacy.
Beshear appointed Sebastian Kitchen, the deputy secretary of the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, to serve as executive director of the office. Kitchen said putting state support behind Kentucky’s musicians, venues and festivals will fuel them as “economic engines” for their communities.
“In such a divided time, music brings people together, as we see these two weeks as hundreds of thousands of people come together in Kentucky to listen to music, enjoy our world-class hospitality, stay in our hotels and experience all of the reasons that make Kentucky such a great place to visit, live and work,” Kitchen said in the release, referring to Bourbon & Beyond and Louder than Life – two music festivals held on back-to-back weekends in Louisville this month.
Kentucky’s arts industry currently generates $6.9 billion in annual economic impact and supports over 51,000 jobs – with the independent live entertainment industry alone creating more than $577 million in impact.
