NEWS

Bevin reorganizes arts council, ousts director

Joseph Gerth

@Joe_Gerth

Gov. Matt Bevin has fired a dozen members of the Kentucky Arts Council's board of directors and is accepting the resignation of the council's executive director.

In a press release Friday afternoon, Bevin announced that he was reorganizing the council and keeping only four of the existing members.

Sources also told the Courier-Journal that Executive Director Lori Meadows was actually fired during a meeting with the human resources director for the state Tourism, Arts & Heritage Cabinet. Meadows didn't return calls seeking comment.

Laura Brooks, the spokeswoman for the cabinet, said that Meadows had "decided to tender her resignation." She said she couldn't confirm whether that decision came during the meeting with Laurie Googe, the human resources director.

According to the press release, Bevin's reorganization reduces the size of the council from 16 to 15 members and includes at least one member representing education, economic development and workforce development. The agency supports arts and distributes grants to the state from the National Endowment for the Arts.

“The reorganized Council strikes the appropriate balance of expertise in the arts and entrepreneurship,” Tourism Secretary Don Parkinson said. “The new arts council will focus on ensuring that Kentucky artisans have the skills and knowledge to develop and successfully sell their products."

In the release, the governor's office said the reorganized council "will promote and achieve greater economy, efficiency and improved administration."

John Hockensmith, a photographer from Georgetown who owns a gallery there, said he received no notification from the governor's office that he was being removed from the council and learned of the reorganization from a reporter. He said he would have gladly resigned had Bevin asked him.

Hockensmith also had not heard that Meadows was removed but said, "If that's true, it would be a huge loss. ... I've been around state government for a long time, and I've never seen anyone more efficient or who worked harder than she did."

Wilma Brown, a retired teacher and the past president of the Arts Commission of Danville/Boyle County, said she had learned she had been removed from the council but declined further comment.

Mary Michael Corbett, whom Bevin is retaining as the council's chairwoman, declined to be interviewed but said in a statement that she is "honored to be reappointed."

"It is my understanding that the new members of the council have been actively engaged in the arts in their communities and throughout the state," she said. "I look forward to meeting and working with each of them."

Corbett went on to thank Meadows, "who has deftly guided the Kentucky Arts Council as Executive Director. She's been an integral part of arts community for the last 20 years."

Meadows had been with the council for more than two decades. Before she was hired as executive director in 2005, she was the technical assistance coordinator for the organization and had worked there since at least 1995.

Since Bevin was elected a year ago, he has reorganized numerous boards, including the University of Louisville's board of trustees, the Kentucky Retirement Systems board of trustees, and the Kentucky Horse Park Commission.

A Franklin Circuit judge has ruled that Bevin had no authority to reorganize the U of L board of trustees as he did, and a lawsuit challenging his reorganization of the pension board is pending.

As Bevin prepared his first budget last year, rumors swirled that the new governor would slash funding for the arts council just as Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback did in 2011. Brownback ultimately brought back that state's arts commission following a public outcry.

In addition to Corbett, Bevin retained Paul Fourshee, of Cadiz: Everett D. McCorvey, of Lexington; and Andrea Rudloff, of Bowling Green.

New to the board are Douglas Adams, of Whitesburg: James Boler, of Adolphus: Dior Cotton, of Louisville: Jean Dorton, of Paintsville: Elizabeth Griffith, of Owensboro: Lindsey Jaeger, of Union: Sallie Lanham, of Frankfort: Luanne Mattingly, of Maysville: Nathan Mick, of Lexington; Angela Rice, of Winchester: and Janice Turpen, of Somerset.

Joseph Gerth can be reached at (502) 582-4702 or jgerth@courier-journal.com.

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