Seventeenth International Conference on the Arts in Society

Abstract

The purpose of this inquiry is to understand the nature and quality of the communication relationship between isolated, Appalachian arts administrators in Kentucky and Tennessee and administrators at their representing state arts agencies. There is little published research that focuses on the interactions of these two different populations of arts administrators. Quantitative data paint a statistical picture of the funding situation in isolated Appalachian communities, but this study explores why the current situation exists and how it affects the choices and perceptions of arts administrators at both Small, Isolated, Rural, Arts Organizations (SIRAO) and state funding agencies (SAA). Despite the seeming lack of public funding, arts organizations do exist in many small, isolated, rural, Appalachian communities across Kentucky and Tennessee. This research begins to explore the reasons behind the state funding status of these SIRAOs and how they work with the state arts agencies that represent them. The playing field seems stacked against rural arts administrators toiling in isolated communities, with an apparent disconnect between the needs at the local level and the provision allocated at the state level. Meanwhile, states arts agencies open grant opportunities to most nonprofit arts organizations within their states and provide quality control measures to ensure that tax-payer dollars are not squandered on organizations that might be ill-equipped to utilize state funds. This study explores the relationship between SIRAO’s and their representing SAAs. I seek to understand the nature of this relationship to advise future resource allocation for maximum benefit.