By Elizabeth Kramer
Frankfort, KY – The Kentucky Arts Council is set to receive a grant from the National
Endowment for the Arts to support arts groups statewide.
The council will receive more than $850,000 from the NEA to support the
operating costs of arts groups as well as arts education programs.
Ed Lawrence is with the Kentucky Arts Council. He says this year's
annual grant from the NEA is nearly $60,000 more than last year's. And
Lawrence says that funding is needed given the recession.
"Arts organizations are hurting and they're at bare-bones staff. If we
can just keep a staff member in there to keep them going until the
economy comes back that hopefully that position will be able to sustain
itself."
Lawrence says the application for this year's grant paid special
attention to detailing how the some of the money would reach rural areas
and start a pilot program to help cities create cultural districts.