A group of art and emergency management leaders discussed Friday how to better protect local culture from natural disasters during a conference at the University of Kentucky.

The day-long conference discussed the importance of the arts in local communities, and how they can stay prepared in case of a crisis.

The Kentucky Heritage Emergency Response Network was also announced as a way to help artists quickly recover after a disaster.

Rachel Shane is the chair of the school’s Department of Arts Administration. She says that sort of safety net is important for those who make a living out of their art.

“When their business is destroyed, as it might be with the flood in Hazard, their home is destroyed, their studio is destroyed, their materials are destroyed,” Shane said. “They can no longer make a living, and yet, they’re not eligible for the same kind of funding someone would be if they happen to own a retail shop.”

Shane says the arts are one of America’s biggest exports. They’re also important to the economies of local communities, like the ones in eastern Kentucky impacted by flooding.

“The arts organizations are embedded in those communities, and they are part of their local economy, and they preserve all the local heritage for these organizations,” Shane said. “So if something happens to those organizations, it greatly impacts the ability of the community to continue on.”

That also comes with new programs at UK for arts emergency management. Students can get certificates in the field through online undergraduate or graduate programs.

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