Seven Paducah representatives will attend the World Folk Art Biennial in Jinju, South Korea, in October, the Paducah Convention and Visitors Bureau announced recently.
The event, which will be held from October 15-22, is a celebration that aims to provide UNESCO creative cities with an opportunity to share their aesthetic perspectives and experiences in order to contribute to the advancement of the performing arts industry. and culture.
Paducah will be represented by Paducah musicians The Wheelhouse Rousters along with Seth Murphy and Yeiser Executive Director Lexie Millikan.
“We are very excited and honored to share Western Kentucky’s unique musical contributions of bluegrass, thumb pick and roustabout music in Jinju, South Korea,” said Josh Coffey of The Wheelhouse Rousters. “Sharing this music and honoring our culture on this world stage is definitely the most important moment so far in our entire career.”
Paducah joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in 2013 as a city of folk arts and crafts. Since then, Paducah has enjoyed unique collaboration opportunities with other creative cities around the globe. Other creative crafts and folk art cities participating in the Biennale include Bida City, Nigeria; Aswan, Egypt; and Baguio, Philippines. Amon Music Cities, Indonesia; Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; and Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, are also participating.
“After attending a craft art biennial in Jinju last year, it’s a dream to be able to travel there again, and even better to do so with a group of incredibly talented musicians,” said Millikan. “We all look forward to representing the rich traditions of our region and forging new creative connections. The UNESCO Creative City designation continues to create opportunities for exchange in the arts.”
Paducah celebrates its 10th anniversary as a UNESCO Creative City in 2023.
According to Mary Hammond, PCVB executive director, “The designation as one of the world’s creative cities has directly impacted the increase in international visitation and the economic impact of tourism in Paducah. It differentiates Paducah and positions us for the future. Building on this new platform, Paducah has gained unprecedented national and worldwide attention for our cultural heritage.”
