Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission

History and Structure

The Legislature passed and the Governor signed into law 2012 Senate Sub. for HB 2454, which created the KCAIC within the Department of Commerce. The bill merged the powers, functions, and duties of the Kansas Arts Commission and the Kansas Film Commission and made the KCAIC responsible for measuring, promoting, supporting, and expanding the creative industries in Kansas. Both the Kansas Arts Commission and the Kansas Film Commission were abolished.

The KCAIC is governed by an 11-member Commission with members who serve for terms of three years. Members may be reappointed at the end of their first term; however, members may not serve more than two terms and are not eligible for reappointment following the end of the member’s second term of office.

The members of the commission include:

• Two members appointed by the President of the Senate;
• One member appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate;
• Two members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
• One member appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives; and
• Five members appointed by the Governor.

Additionally, all members appointed by the Governor have terms of three years, except that in the initial appointment three of the appointments were for two-year terms and two of the appointments were for three-year terms. The Governor designated the term for which each of the members first appointed would serve. The Commission is required to convene annually by the 20th day of the legislative session and elect a chairperson and vice-chairperson from among its members. Under the provisions of the statute governing the KCAIC, the Commission is required to meet no fewer than four times during each calendar year, and the Commission must meet on the call of the chair, with the meetings taking place in various locations across Kansas.

The statutes governing the KCAIC indicate the Commission should be “broadly representative” of the major fields of the arts and related creative industries. Members shall be appointed from among private citizens who are widely known for having competence and experience in connection with the arts and related creative industries or business leaders with an interest in promoting the arts. Additionally, the members should have knowledge of community and state interests.

Programs

The KCAIC has expanded from two programs to eleven programs over the previous decade. The programs include:

• Artist INC is a training program for individual artists in all disciplines to develop their careers and entrepreneur skills by connecting them to tools, resources, and opportunities;
• Arts Education engages learners through music, dance, poetry, visual art, and drama to understand and express their learning of curriculum concepts through the arts. Educators from any Kansas schools are invited to participate in workshops;
• Arts in Medicine is a partnership with Emporia State University (ESU) to allow associations, agencies, and organizations that provide medical services to Kansans to work with art therapy faculty and graduate students at ESU to build a program that meets the needs of their populations, such as group art therapy, individual art therapy for patients receiving specific treatment, art-based workshops, and arts-based programs at special events;
• Creative Aging Kansans allows seniors to be served by leveraging the arts to encourage sound health, independence, dignity, purpose, and joy;
• Critical Writing Initiative is designed to increase the capacity and quality of arts writing. The four-month program is composed of two parts – a workshop component and a field-experience component. Example of workshop topics include: film and television writing, writing about the visual arts, profile writing, and food writing;
• Ethnic Markets Initiative is a pilot program to support equitable food systems through culture sharing and the arts. The program partners with five businesses in the Lawrence area by providing economic development training and marketing assistance;
• Field Arts Forum is a pilot program designed to provide an experiential learning opportunity for emerging practitioners in the fields of New Rural Arts, Art & Ecology, Social and Environmental Art, and Creative Placemaking by visiting numerous sites of social, ecological, and cultural significance across rural Kansas. This is a partnership with Pratt Community College;
• Indigenous Arts Initiative supports a rotating series of art labs that provide Indigenous artists an opportunity to hone creative skills, expand professional networks, and gain leadership experience through collaborative, mentor-based programming at the University of Kansas (KU). Workshops and public events are offered during the annual KU Indigenous Cultures Festival;
• Mural Making Guide was designed to assist communities in the creation of new murals and in providing technical assistance for new large-scale public art projects;
• New Dance Lab is a partnership between KCAIC and Johnson County Community College to allow a select group of dance professionals the opportunity to participate in one-on-one and small group professional development experiences;
• New Play Lab at the annual William Inge Theatre Festival is a partnership between KCAIC and the William Inge Center for the Arts at Independence Community College. The selected playwrights receive:
  • A professional staged reading of their play with an audience;
  • Feedback on their play facilitated by national theatre professionals;
  • Additional playwriting classes and seminars exclusive to New Play Lab participants, including a masterclass with William Inge Theatre Festival guest playwrights;
  • Opportunities to meet with theatre professionals from across the country;
  • VIP passes to all festival events; and
  • Meal vouchers to enjoy restaurants in Independence, Kansas;

• Poet Laureate of Kansas promotes the arts as a public resource for all Kansans. The selected poet laureate presents readings and discussions about poetry in communities across the state;
• Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of poetry by offering free, educational materials, and dynamic recitation competition for high school students across the country. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life. Students also have the opportunity to compete for an expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C., and over $50,000 in scholarships and prizes; and
• Tallgrass Artist Residency is a program centered in Matfield Green, Kansas. The residency works with local organizations to house artists and host events throughout the Flint Hills region.

Funding

State Funds. When the KCAIC was created in 2012, the Governor recommended $200,000, all from the Economic Development Initiatives Fund (EDIF). The 2012 Legislature added an additional $500,000, all from the EDIF, and 3.0 FTE positions for the operation of the KCAIC. Since its original funding allocation, EDIF funding for KCAIC has fluctuated. The Commission received federal funding to continue certain projects during this time.

The 2023 Legislature approved adding an additional $500,000 to expand workforce development and entrepreneurship in the creative sector that are currently restricted under National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) regulations. Actual EDIF spending for the KCAIC is shown below.

Federal Funds. The NEA determines whether the KACIC complies with eligibility requirements each year. NEA funding received by the State of Kansas is shown below.

FY	EDIF Funding	NEA Funding
2014	$595,419	$559,721
2015	$362,261	$413,230
2016	$190,428	$17,256
2017	$194,420	$607,647
2018	$188,611	$620,218
2019	$113,373	$610,987
2020	$576,479	$1,083,400
2021	$503,270	$1,410,145
2022	$499,816	$413,230
2023	$509,425	$559,721

by Chardae Caine
Senior Fiscal Analyst
785-296-3183