FRANKFORT, Ky.—The Kentucky Arts Council and the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts have partnered to present workshops focusing on different accessibility issues in the arts and arts environments.

The Frankfort workshop, Making Art Accessible to People with Disabilities: Over One Million Potential Customers in Kentucky!, is designed primarily to enhance artists’ knowledge of basic accessibility issues and fundamental access compliance in order to present art and sell to this often overlooked market.  It will be held on Tuesday, April 22, from 4:00 -7:00 p.m. EDT at the Paul Sawyier Public Library, 319 Wapping Street, Frankfort, Ky. 

The Lexington workshop, Architecture, Accessibility and the Arts, will provide information for arts organizations and cultural sites to focus on creating accessible arts spaces and environments.  It will be held on Thursday, May 22, from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. EDT at the Lexington Opera House, 401 West Short Street, Lexington, Ky. 

 “We are happy to continue this partnership with the Kentucky Center, which has been nationally recognized for its work in accessibility services, to help artists and arts organizations realize the responsibilities, as well as the opportunities available in making the arts accessible to everyone,” said Arts Council Executive Director Lori Meadows.

The workshops are free and open to anyone working or volunteering in the arts and cultural sector in Kentucky; pre-registration is required. To register, go to http://artscouncil.ky.gov/wkshops.htm. For more information contact Martha Newman at mnewman@kentuckycenter.org or 502-562-0711 (V), 502-562-0140 (TTY).

The Kentucky Arts Council is a state agency in the Commerce Cabinet that creates opportunities for Kentuckians to value, participate in and benefit from the arts. Kentucky Arts Council funding is provided by the Kentucky State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art.

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The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, invests in programs that develop vibrant communities, provide lifelong education in the arts and support arts participation. Every $1 invested in operating support grants by the Kentucky Arts Council leverages $24 in earned income and matching funds from individuals, philanthropic sources and other levels of government.