Small Town Big Arts

Creating a Sensory Friendly Environment in Rural Kentucky

What does it mean to truly open the doors of a performing arts center, not just physically, but for everyone in your community? Today on Small Town Big Arts, I'm talking with Shannon Kirkpatrick-Daniels, the Executive Director of the Appalachian Center for the Arts in Pikeville, Kentucky, known locally and lovingly as "The App." Situated in the heart of southeast Appalachia, The App is a dynamic home for theater, music, and visual arts that sees its mission as nothing less than championing the stories of their town, their region, and their world. We talk about what it takes to run a community arts center in a rural region, the programming, the partnerships, the community relationships that make it all work. But we spend real time on something that gets talked around more than talked about in our field: accessibility. The App has made a genuine commitment to making the arts reachable for everyone, from physical access to sensory-friendly performances designed for patrons with autism and other sensory sensitivities. It's the kind of intentional, practical work that reflects what it actually means to serve your whole community, not just the easiest-to-serve part of it. Learn more by visiting: https://theapparts.org

The Rural Texas Arts and Culture Network

What does it look like to build a statewide network for rural arts and culture from the ground up? In this episode, Geoff Kershner sits down with Meg Greene, Program Director for Convenings and Collaborations at Mindpop, to explore the Rural Texas Arts and Culture Network — how it started, how it functions, and what it's teaching us about connecting artists and organizations across vast, underserved geographies. As Geoff works to develop Virginia's own version through Small Town Big Arts, this conversation is both a case study and a road map. Learn more about the Rural Texas Arts and Culture Network at: https://texasruralarts.org/

The Department of Public "Transformation"

In this episode of Small Town Big Arts, host Geoffrey Kershner talks with Ash Hanson, Founder and Creative Executive Officer of the Department of Public Transformation (DoPT) — a groundbreaking organization that uses creativity as a catalyst for civic engagement in small towns across America. From their base in rural Minnesota, Ash and her team have helped communities reimagine public spaces, build trust across divides, and celebrate local identity through the arts. In this conversation, Ash shares how DoPT activates local leadership, nurtures collaboration between artists and civic systems, and helps residents see their towns through a new creative lens. https://www.publictransformation.org/

Free Access to the Arts in Southwest Virginia

Founded in 1961 and now a fully accredited partner of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the American Alliance of Museums, Piedmont Arts in Martinsville stands as one of the few cultural non‑profits serving Virginia’s Southwest region—acting as a vital nexus for visual arts, performing arts, and education in a community with limited comparable resources. At the helm of this mission is Heidi Pinkston, the organization’s Executive Director, whose leadership has been instrumental in guiding Piedmont Arts through ambitious initiatives such as the $1 million Growth and Restoration Campaign to fortify infrastructure, expand programming, and enhance sustainability Piedmont Arts [https://piedmontarts.org]. Our conversation explores how Piedmont Arts, under Pinkston’s stewardship, is not only preserving regional cultural heritage but also envisioning a dynamic, inclusive future for the arts in Southwest Virginia.

How Virginians Power Rural Bath County’s Cultural Ecosystem

In this episode of Small Town Big Arts, we travel to Bath County, Virginia—one of America’s most arts-vibrant rural communities—to explore how Virginia funding, local and statewide, fuels creative life in a small town.  Host Geoffrey Kershner sits down with leaders from the Garth Newel Music Center [https://www.garthnewel.org/] and the Bath County Arts Association [https://www.bathcountyarts.org/] to discuss the powerful role of the arts in education, economic development, tourism, and community connection. You’ll hear how modest investments from the Virginia Commission for the Arts help sustain year-round programming, nurture local talent, and turn small grants into big impact. From chamber music in the mountains to new community art spaces in Hot Springs, this episode highlights why rural arts matter—and why public funding is essential to their future. 🔗 Learn more at vaforarts.org [https://vaforarts.org/]