Community Members hope to revitalize Route 7

Community Members hope ...

  Route 7 Antique Alley and Route 7 Artisan Fellowship are teaming up in eastern Kentucky, working across county lines, and hoping to make change happen in their communities. With 5,200 plus members — to put it into perspective, Whitesburg had only 2,057 residents in 2013 — Route 7...
MACED helps create possible new economic model for rural communities

MACED helps create poss...

By: Ivy Brashear The City of Berea in Madison County, Ky., hopes the Berea Artist Accelerator, an innovative new program born of a unique set of partnerships, will help plug the leak of Berea College graduates fleeing town after graduation, and in the process, become a model example for...
Eastern Kentucky Transition stories in statewide media

Eastern Kentucky Transi...

At least two examples of economic transition in eastern Kentucky were in the media recently. Roundabout Music Company in Whitesburg was featured on Kentucky for Kentucky’s blog last week. Co-owners Matt Carter, Josh May, Jonathan Hootman and Ben Spangler spoke with KFK about what...
The “Creative Class” in Appalachia

The “Creative Cla...

Big cities get a lot of attention for attracting the “creative class,” those folks who make their living in the arts, design, architecture or other creative fields. Much has been made of the importance of attracting this community, because, as the Daily Yonder says,”the...
‘Looking at Appalachia’ allows others to see region through Appalachian peoples’ lens

‘Looking at Appal...

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the War on Poverty, and the retrospectives about how far (or how little) Appalachia has come have been pouring out of national media outlets like the poverty pictures of 1964 Appalachia poured out into the national psyche. Some of these...
Appalachia’s ethnic and racial diversity should play role in economic future

Appalachia’s ethn...

With the rise of reality television shows focusing on rural areas and the recent 50th Anniversary of the War on Poverty, stereotypes about Appalachia have resurfaced on the national scene with a vengeance. It’s been hard for Appalachia to combat these pervasive images and perceptions,...
Music Festival Helps Small Virginia Town Grow

Music Festival Helps Sm...

You might not expect to find some of the biggest names in indie and folk rock playing at a dot on the map in Southwest Virginia, but the town of Floyd is bringing them in. Bands like the Lumineers and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros typically play to sold-out crowds...
Helping the Arts Thrive in Appalachia

Helping the Arts Thrive...

With its rich cultural and artistic heritage, many Appalachian towns are looking at promoting the arts as an economic driver. Some places – like Abingdon, VA with its Barter Theater – have seen success with this model, but others have struggled. The Lexington Herald-Leader...