challenges that a number of the country’s other smaller cities have, including a shift in its economic structure as rail and river systems have been joined by air and interstate highway systems in the later twenti- eth century, along with the develop- ment of suburban shopping malls. As the local economy has struggled, some of Paducah’s quite handsome and well- heeled neighborhoods have struggled as well. To its credit, Paducah has held on to much of the distinctive architecture of the historic downtown and the LowerTown Arts District and has worked hard to keep the city alive, with particular success during the last couple of decades.
Paducah’s Arts and Crafts Art and handmade items are important to Paducah’s profile. You can see them in the numerous galler- ies and studios around town and in the interest and support that the city’s residents and businesses give to various collections and projects. In the 1980s, two of these residents, Mere- dith and Bill Schroeder, developed a deep interest and appreciation for
quilts and quilt making. After having attended a couple of national quilting shows, the Schroeders brought their new-found affection home and started the American Quilters Society. This led them to quilt collecting, and the collection led them in 1991 to found what was originally called the Ameri- can Quilters Society Museum. The museum, in downtown Paducah, was built to house an ever-growing collection of these beautiful hand- crafted fiber art pieces. Today, the museum is home to more than three hundred permanent quilts, and in 2008 was named the National Quilt Museum by the US Congress. Each year in April, the museum sponsors Quilt Week, which features seven days of lectures, auctions, appraisals, exhibitions, demonstra- tions, and more. One walk through the museum makes it is easy to see what draws thousands of visitors annually; the quilts are remarkable—colorful, intricate in their geometry and patterns—and made by true artists. Paducah beckons artists. The city offers one of the innovative artist relocation programs that have become a popular and practical way to help cities rejuvenate themselves and draw industrious and creative residents to
Paducah assists artists in buying affordable property and with other start-up and moving expenses.
areas otherwise overlooked and underdeveloped. Through the work and planning of the Paducah Renais- sance Alliance, a national Main Street program, the city is working to—as their website states—“enrich Padu- cah’s Renaissance Area . . . made up of the LowerTown Arts District, the historic downtown, and the riverfront development project.”
Among the enrichment initiatives is one designed to support artists in their desire to move to Paducah by assisting them in buying affordable property and with other start-up and moving expenses. The properties are often in need of considerable improve- ment, and program participants must supply a feasible residence renovation and business plan.
The first stage of this program started in 2000, and dozens of artists now make their home in Paducah. Batik, printmaking, sculpture, jewelry making, painting, installation art, and
Thousands of visitors come to the National Quilt Museum, in downtown Paducah, to view the large collection of contemporary, miniature, and antique quilts, and serious collectors are sure to attend the annual Quilt Week programs.
58 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 1
PHOTO: PADUCAH CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU
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