Arts Disaster & Crisis Preparedness Conference

Welcome to the first-ever Arts Disaster & Crisis Preparedness Conference! 

Place-Making and Social Infrastructure: The Hazard Story
Moderator: Jeff Fugate
Panelists: Melissa Bond, Baylen Campbell, Tim Deaton, Stacie Fugate, Rebekah Radtke

Hazard, Kentucky has seen a downtown renaissance in recent years, anchored in place-making strategies that prioritize local businesses, livability, and cultural identity. These efforts are both a consequence of and reinforcing of social and human capital in the community. The 2022 floods floods brought into focus the importance of a viable community as a means of resilience and recovery.

This panel invites key participants in Hazard’s story along with UK Design faculty to discuss the time leading up to
the flood, the immediate aftermath, and plans for a more resilient future. Hazard’s trajectory began a decade ago with a small group of young people coming together as InVision Hazard, a volunteer organization committed to amplifying the best of the community. Through programming such as Thursdays on the Triangle, a summer live music event, the group demonstrated the viability of downtown. Capital soon followed with creation of the ArtStation, a home for the Appalachian Arts Alliance in a derelict former bus station. The City created a Downtown Coordinator position to drive investment. New businesses now populate Main Street and the surrounds, including a coffee shop, cafes, bars, a bookstore, and a toyshop.

The strength of the community’s social, human, and built capital is vital to Hazard’s ongoing revitalization. The same networks also supported Hazard’s role as a center for response and recovery in August of 2022. They were able to quickly set up a receiving and distribution center in a vacant store, assign responsibilities, and establish communication channels well before FEMA arrived. Meanwhile, other communities with less robust social networks have struggled to find their footing. Social infrastructure is too often ignored in disaster mitigation in favor of technical solutions like relocation or flood-control. Taking a different tact towards climate futures, Studio Appalachia—a project of the UK College of Design—has supported Hazard over the past three years to develop a strategy for climate resilience through community resilience. In lieu of the typical plan document, developed through discreet input sessions and largely driven by “best-practices,” Studio Appalachia has been intentional about relationship-building, iterative ideation, and co-design efforts to support locally-derived community improvements.

The Art of Mass Gatherings Podcast explores the intersection of festivals and community resilience, focusing on the powerful role that arts and events can play in climate and disaster preparedness. Since 2017, we’ve turned festivals across the country into classrooms for sharing practical knowledge across diverse fields such as arts, city and disaster planning, culture, and food. The podcast features dialogues with event producers and emergency experts, emphasizing the four pillars of resilient gatherings: safety, sustainability, accessibility, and community engagement. It delves into the role of cultural traditions and festivals as platforms for social change.

Share your stories of “creative resilience” and be featured on the upcoming podcast! In this pop-up recording
booth, we’re collecting stories, songs and thoughts about resilience, mass gatherings, community preparedness, and the intersections between the arts and disaster response. Memories related to safety, sustainability, or accessibility at festivals, stories about Kentucky (or wherever you call home), artists as responders, and more: surprise us!

We will be interviewing and trying to bring out the most heartfelt content we can.

Conversations on Emergency Prevention, Management, and Response
Panelists: Alicia Jay, Wes Bedwell. Kyle Jay

This session features a Certified Building Official/Fire Marshall, disaster responder EPA subcontractor, and Theatrical Firearms Safety artist/Fight Choreographer to talk about various aspects of emergency response from prevention through recovery with the through-line of fire.

Emergency management begins before the emergency has occurred. With knowledge, a plan of action, and some common sense, organizations can position themselves for better outcomes when it comes to emergency prevention, mitigation, and recovery. This session brings together a Certified Building Official/Fire Marshall, a disaster responder contracted by the EPA, and Certified Theatrical Firearms Safety artist/Fight Choreographer to talk about various aspects of emergency response from prevention through recovery. With a through-line of fire, the panelists bring experience working with theater venues as a Fire Marshal/Building Inspector/safety specialist (Wes), working with artists and administrators concerning theatrical firearm pyrotechnic devices and weapons/safety (Alicia), and as a disaster responder with experience working with large-scale fires and hazardous chemical detection (Kyle). 
This session will leave participants with practical tips that can make a difference at every level of emergency preparedness. Intended topics covered include:
- Required building codes (with consideration to design, retrofit);
- Fire Code Compliance, and, in particular, flame standards of curtains and decorative materials for stage scenery; the use of open flames/pyrotechnics in stage productions (NFPA 160, 1123& 1126), and Fire Safety and Evacuation Plans;
- Emergency Plans and where do they need to be posted/filed, who needs access to them;
- Chain of command for emergency response (and where organization leaders fall in that chain);
- Storage and transportation of theatrical firearms;
- Notice of theatrical firearm use, and in particular, who to notify, what to post, and mitigation strategies;
- Theatrical firearm venting (fire and burn hazard), use of blanks indoors;
- Stage weapon (not-so-) common sense, chain-of-command, and general safety;
- What happens when disaster emergency responders show up– what they do, what role personnel have; and
- Helpful information and tips from lived experience responding to chemical spills and natural disaster (fire).

Through this discussion, the panels aim to give digestible information and practical tips that can be implemented as they consider their own venue policies and procedures.

Beyond Rationality: Incorporating First Responder Grief Work into Disaster and Crisis Planning
Presenter: Amber Lynn Scott
First responders are rarely taught how to respect their own individual and organizational manifestations of trauma and grief that emerge during crisis. This presentation discusses a novel framework to overcome this identified gap.

Insights and Lessons Learned: Mitigation, Recovery & Resilience at University of Kentucky
Presenters: Laurel Wood and Kristen Sutherland
Discover approaches to disaster recovery and resilience when faced with natural disasters of any size, shape, or form and the challenges and successes associated with planning for the unknown at the Commonwealth's flagship institution of higher education.

From Coachella to Carnivale, festivals sit at the crossroads of community, cultural tradition, and social transformation. As temporary towns and cities, they’re also windows into a community’s resilience against the impacts of extreme climate events, civil disruptions, and disaster.

Matthew Ché Kowal of Majestic Collaborations and Tom Clareson of Performing Arts Readiness will share lessons learned from the many Art of Mass Gatherings symposiums, festival/venue assessments, asset mapping, and resilience hubs sprints held across the US and Puerto Rico over the last six years. We consider the future trajectory future of workforce and infrastructure with "mass gathering resilience specialists” playing a key role in enhancing accessible and sustainable design.

The Art of Mass Gatherings Podcast explores the intersection of festivals and community resilience, focusing on the powerful role that arts and events can play in climate and disaster preparedness. Since 2017, we’ve turned festivals across the country into classrooms for sharing practical knowledge across diverse fields such as arts, city and disaster planning, culture, and food. The podcast features dialogues with event producers and emergency experts, emphasizing the four pillars of resilient gatherings: safety, sustainability, accessibility, and community engagement. It delves into the role of cultural traditions and festivals as platforms for social change.

Share your stories of “creative resilience” and be featured on the upcoming podcast! In this pop-up recording
booth, we’re collecting stories, songs and thoughts about resilience, mass gatherings, community preparedness, and the intersections between the arts and disaster response. Memories related to safety, sustainability, or accessibility at festivals, stories about Kentucky (or wherever you call home), artists as responders, and more: surprise us!

We will be interviewing and trying to bring out the most heartfelt content we can.

Aftermath of an Emergency: Applying lessons learned from ensuring Continuity of Operations towards preparing for disaster
Panelists: Rusty Heckaman & Rebecca Halbmaier

On the evening of December 10, 2021, a storm brewing across the Western region of Kentucky produced an EF4 tornado that tore through Graves County. The swath of damage and destruction left in its wake was devastating. Lives were lost, and homes, businesses, churches, and historical landmarks were destroyed. Among those buildings struck was the Graves County Courthouse, which had been damaged beyond repair. County Courthouses serve vital functions for their communities, acting as the authority for issuing and registering records like those for marriage, property, and voter rolls, as well as administering elections and taxes. While serving the contemporary needs of the public, they are also a repository for
the records of their community’s past. Efforts to maintain these records are supported by the Local Records Branch of KDLA in the form of regional administrators who consult local officials on matters of records retention and preservation.

In the aftermath of the disaster, court personnel worked closely with state colleagues to ascertain the scope of the damage to the courthouse and the records stored within. Exposure to the elements threatened the integrity of large amounts of records and required personnel to act quickly to save them. The services of a recovery company were acquired and refrigerated trucks were used to transport the material to storage until further action could be taken.

A month after the tornado struck the Graves County court resumed operations in a temporary space. Essential records needed for the continuity of their operations were in storage as salvage efforts continued. Land records proved to be in especially high demand as residents sought records to provide insurers for claims to their properties. Access copies created by the Local Records branch of KDLA were made available through the efforts of the staff of the State Archives. Staff fulfilled over 430 requests and provided over 1,000 copies of deeds to the clerks. Electronic Records personnel undertook a project to digitize deed records so that clerks might have access to them without the continued assistance of archives staff. Further assistance was provided through the indexing of Circuit Court Cases from 1978 to 1985 to accommodate access to case files in the loss of local indexes.

Applying the lessons learned from this case to better preparation for disaster could better ensure an organization’s readiness to respond and maintain its operations in its wake.


 

Community, Healing, and the Arts in Disaster
Presenters: Eleanor Billington and Heather Spooner
Join the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to discuss the critical role that arts and culture play in community wellness and mental health, specifically the NEA's Military Healing Network Intiative: Creative Forces.

Natural Resiliency: Creative Approaches to Healing After Disaster
Presenter: Jessica Evans
This presentation and discussion, with real-world examples, will outline the many ways that creative expression can foster resilience and help both individuals and communities navigate the journey toward healing and recovery amidst adversity.

Take Manageable Steps Towards Adequate Preparation
Presenter: Leah Craig
Disaster preparedness can be a daunting, overwhelming task. Learn manageable steps toward improving your disaster preparedness starting with yourself, working within your team, and influencing your organization.

Creativity in Adversity: Continuing “Pandemic-Era” Community Engagement Practices in the Dance Field Post-Pandemic
Presenter: EveMarie Bessenbach
The dance field should continue utilizing “pandemic-era” practices based on the unexpected, yet tremendous ability to
successfully foster community engagement and increase accessibility to dance - even during one of the most devasting
events in modern history.

Community Recovery Through Arts and Culture
Moderator: Jan Newcomb
Panelists: Eleanor Billington, Tom Clareson, Emily Moses, Mollie Quinlan-Hayes
Kentucky and Hawai’i are unfortunate colleagues in experiencing disaster. Arts and culture networks are becoming key drivers of community recovery. This session explores this process in both communities and looks at the road ahead.

Meet the keynote panelists and connect with essential services and programs to safeguard your arts organization and artistic work.

Featured Presenters at the Table Expo include:

• Center for Disaster Recovery & Resilience, University of Kentucky Police Department
• CERF+ (Craft Emergency Relief Fund)
• Fireside Industries and The University Press of Kentucky featuring the new anthology, Troublesome Rising: A Thousand-Year Flood in Eastern Kentucky
• Kentucky Department of Public Health, Emergency Preparedness and Response Branch
• Heritage Emergency National Task Force (HENTF)
• Kentucky Heritage Emergency Response Network (KHERN)
• Kentucky Arts Council
• Kentucky Arts in Disaster Impact Report 
• Kentuckians for the Arts
• National Coalition of Arts Preparedness and Emergency Response (NCAPER) and Performing Arts Readiness Project
• National Weather Service
• University of Kentucky Department of Arts Administration featuring the Arts Emergency Management certificate programs

This demonstration of materials recovery and salvage from an arts and cultural disaster will provide ideas on how to recover library, archival, and arts collection materials such as books, papers, photographs, tapes, and computer media. Tom Clareson, the Project Director of Performing Arts Readiness and Senior Consultant for Digital & Preservation Services at Lyrasis, the leading library and archives network in the U.S., will also highlight best-practice resources for materials recovery.

The Heritage Emergency National Task Force
Presenter: Sarah Caruso
A partnership between FEMA and the Smithsonian Institution, the Heritage Emergency National Task Force (HENTF) provides resources and information to help cultural stewards, emergency managers, and the public protect cultural heritage sites and resources. In addition to assisting museums and other cultural institutions when their collections are damaged by an event, HENTF helps reduce disaster suffering by assisting the public in salvaging flood-damaged family heirlooms. This presentation will explore HENTF’s role in disaster response, examples of HENTF’s work, and how we advocate for the protection of cultural heritage across the United States.

Federal Legal Frameworks for Protecting Historic Sites
Presenter: Yuha Jung
This session explores the interplay between federal laws and FEMA's role in disaster response, focusing on historic preservation. It examines legal protections and resilience for historic sites, and integration of preservation priorities into disaster management amidst climate change.

The National Weather Service - Building Resiliency in Kentucky
Presenter: Jane Marie Wix
What exactly is the National Weather Service? This presentation will give you an inside look at the role of the NWS offices across the state and country, talk about ways you can get involved, and will also discuss how the NWS Jackson, KY office is working within the community to help build better weather awareness, preparedness, and resiliency.

Safeguarding Community Celebrations
Presenters: Leah Hamilton, Melissa Bond
This session focuses on emergency planning strategies for community-based celebrations, using the Williamsburg, Kentucky Earth Day Festival as a real-world example. Hear about the successful partnership between UK Cooperative Extension and UK Arts Administration conducting a risk audit and building effective communication and training strategies with local administrators in a small town setting.

The Art of Mass Gatherings Podcast explores the intersection of festivals and community resilience, focusing on the powerful role that arts and events can play in climate and disaster preparedness. Since 2017, we’ve turned festivals across the country into classrooms for sharing practical knowledge across diverse fields such as arts, city and disaster planning, culture, and food. The podcast features dialogues with event producers and emergency experts, emphasizing the four pillars of resilient gatherings: safety, sustainability, accessibility, and community engagement. It delves into the role of cultural traditions and festivals as platforms for social change.

Share your stories of “creative resilience” and be featured on the upcoming podcast! In this pop-up recording
booth, we’re collecting stories, songs and thoughts about resilience, mass gatherings, community preparedness, and the intersections between the arts and disaster response. Memories related to safety, sustainability, or accessibility at festivals, stories about Kentucky (or wherever you call home), artists as responders, and more: surprise us!

We will be interviewing and trying to bring out the most heartfelt content we can.

Sustaining a Resilient Organization through Theoretical Constructivism & Actionable Pragmatism
Presenter: Josh Austin
Tenets of a resilient organization are examined via collaborative and coordinated-based theory. Specifically, both open systems and resilience theory are demonstrated as a means to install effective, sustainable system-to-system pragmatic action within an arts organization.

Preventative Conservation and Digital Revitalization of Cultural Heritage in Asia
Presenter: Ruby Yu
Explore preventive conservation and revitalization of tangible and intangible cultural heritage in Asia through digital technology and public engagement, with a focus on specific case studies including ancient artifacts, Chinese grottoes, traditional paintings, and various forms of intangible heritage.

This session is designed for individual artists and their workspaces. It provides an overview of the important personal and professional readiness actions and resources available for artists through CERF+, the Craft Emergency Relief Fund.

Jumpstart Your Readiness Plan with ArtsReady
Panelists: Jan Newcomb and Mollie Quinlan-Hayes 

The online ArtsReady tool guides you through creating a readiness plan for your arts organization. Bring your laptop and get started!

*Get your free subscription code (a $100 value) by visiting the National Coalition for Arts Preparedness and Emergency Response (NCAPER) table at the Table Expo.

Conference Unwind
Presenter: Leah Hamilton
Join the "Conference Unwind" to share and hear stories from fellow conference attendees while engaging in tabletop scenarios—a valuable training tool for enhancing preparedness.

Join us for the closing reception featuring light bites and beverages as you explore the UK Art Museum.