The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has designated Paducah, Kentucky, the world’s seventh City of Crafts and Folk Art, making the city a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, announced Paducah’s designation today
along with Enghien-les-Bains (France) and Sapporo (Japan) as UNESCO Cities of Media
Arts. Paducah Mayor Gayle Kaler hosted a news conference to announce this major
international designation.
“Receiving the UNESCO Creative City Designation will put Paducah in a position to share
cultural assets on a global scale,” said Kaler. “Paducah is poised for cultural and economic
sustainability by creating partnerships locally and with other cities.”
Paducah joins Santa Fe, Aswan, Kanazawa, Icheon, Hangzhou and Fabriano as UNESCO
Cities of Crafts and Folk Arts. The Network currently includes 41 cities from all regions of
the world recognized as cultural centers in the creative industry fields of Crafts and Folk
Arts, Literature, Film, Music, Design, Media Arts and Gastronomy.
The Paducah Visitors Bureau pursued the application as an opportunity to showcase
Paducah’s cultural pedigree, exchange know-how and develop local creative industries on a
global platform. Known as Quilt City USA®, Paducah is recognized worldwide as a mecca
for quilters and fiber artists.
“This designation is a tremendous honor for Paducah and really the entire state and will
focus worldwide attention on the incredible cultural richness of Paducah and in turn
Kentucky,” said Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet Secretary Bob Stewart. “We
are so proud of Paducah.”
The Creative Cities Network is designed to promote the social, economic and cultural
development of cities in both the developed and developing world. Launched in 2004, the
UNESCO Creative Cities Network aims to develop international cooperation among cities
that acknowledge and seek to support creativity as a strategic driver for sustainable development, through multi-stakeholder global partnerships.