Kentucky Arts in Disaster: An Impact Report

This report is a collection of stories and data from Kentucky artists, craftspeople, artisans, arts managers, teaching artists, arts community leaders, arts board volunteers, arts funders, and governmental agency representatives—all affected by the compounding events of natural disasters in Kentucky in 2021 and 2022. Their experiences were collected between January 2023 through January 2024 and resulted in the findings and recommendations in this report.

The arts can be a transformative force, providing safe spaces for reflection, growth, and comfort. This is especially true in times of disaster; murals, artworks, books, poetry, and music can provide an outlet for those who have been affected to share their stories. Artists and arts organizations, through their creative work, can sooth distressed souls and offer important respite from the worries of the mind. Yet during disasters, arts communities are often called to go even further, tasked with providing more tangible sources of comfort for a community in distress. Food. Water. Shelter.

In a disaster, the arts become part of a community’s network for response. But who, or what, heals the artist? What funds support the arts center that has transformed its operations to provide basic necessities for survival? What aids arts managers in making difficult decisions about event cancellations or how to provide support services for their grieving staff and volunteers? What policies help musicians replace lost instruments or repair damaged ones? What replaces income lost when the gig economy suffers a disaster-induced recession?

These questions are essential in understanding the journey of the Kentucky artist and arts organization in the aftermath of recent disaster events.

The answers are essential for aiding arts councils, governmental agencies, and funders in formulating policies and support systems designed to assist arts communities before, during, and after disasters.

Cover Artwork: "I Leave the Past to Set Me Free" by Lacy Hale.