Murray Sentinel among 12 nonprofits awarded Arts Access Assistance grants

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Today, Gov. Andy Beshear announced that 12 nonprofit organizations across the commonwealth will receive a total of $50,000 to support arts programs that promote health, wellness and community connection.

“The arts bring people together, strengthen our communities and help improve the quality of life for our families,” said Gov. Beshear. “Team Kentucky is proud to support these organizations as they use creativity to build connection, support recovery and promote well-being across our New Kentucky Home.”

Funding is made available through the Arts Access Assistance (AAA) grants, which support nonprofit organizations that use arts-based strategies to address critical community needs, including mental health, recovery and social connection.

“Programs like the Arts Access Assistance grants demonstrate how the arts can be used as a powerful tool for healing and engagement,” said Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet Secretary Lindy Casebier. “By investing in these initiatives, we are helping build stronger, more connected communities across Kentucky.”

Funded projects will take place between April 1 and Sept. 1, 2026, in communities across the state, including Boyle, Calloway, Fayette, Franklin, Jefferson, Madison, McCracken and Pike counties. Projects focus on reducing isolation, supporting recovery from trauma and disaster, promoting mental health and increasing access to meaningful creative experiences.

Support from the AAA grants is important to organizations like The Murray Sentinel.

“‘Feels Like Home’ brings together artists, recovery organizations and local media to create a collaborative model for arts in recovery,” said Jessica Paine, executive director of The Murray Sentinel. “Through hands-on workshops, public exhibitions and a facilitator’s guide, we’re not only supporting individuals in their recovery journeys, we’re building a framework that can be adapted and replicated in other communities across Kentucky.”

The Kentucky Arts Council prioritized proposals that use the arts to promote mental health, foster resilience, support recovery, combat loneliness and isolation, increase community engagement and advance health equity.

This year’s recipients include:

• Pioneer Playhouse, Boyle County – Comedy Classes Behind Bars

• Arts for All Kentucky Inc., Calloway County – Invincible Summer Initiative

• The Murray Sentinel, Calloway County – Feels Like Home

• Bluegrass Youth Ballet, Fayette County – Wellness Beyond the Studio

• Central Music Academy, Fayette County – Rhythm as Connection: CMA School and Family Drum Circles

• LexArts, Fayette County – Arts and Health Alliance of Central Kentucky

• Josephine Sculpture Park, Franklin County – The Wind Telephone: A Community Space for Grief and Healing

• Yes Arts, Franklin County – The Art of Healing

• Trager Family Jewish Community Center, Jefferson County – Agewell: Participation and Patronage of the Arts

• First Friday Berea, Madison County – Music & Meaning: Intergenerational Connection Through Live Music

• The National Quilt Museum, McCracken County – A Creative Stitch Quilt Block

• The Appalachian Center for the Arts, Pike County – Encore at The App

The Kentucky Arts Council provides leadership, funding and support for the arts in Kentucky. Through programs like the AAA grants, the agency continues to invest in creative solutions that strengthen communities and improve the well-being of Kentuckians statewide.