RUX kicks off the 2024 Community Intensive season in Campbellsville & Taylor County
The 2024 cohort gathers for a group photo at Green River Lake State Park in Taylor County. Photo Credit: Taylor Killough
64 Kentuckians from 27 counties visited Campbellsville & Taylor County over the weekend of May 17-19, for the first Rural-Urban Exchange Community Intensive of 2024 - and RUX's first-ever visit to Campbellsville & Taylor County.
The local Host Committee worked for months to showcase both the community’s assets and its most pressing issues. During their visit, the cohort learned about ecotourism, recreation, and conservation along Green River, the culture of local agriculture & land stewardship, the relationship between the university & local community, and some amazing new efforts to uplift local music, literature, and African American history, including the Enslaved Persons of Clay Hill (EPoCH) Legacy Project, which was funded by a RUX Intercultural Microgrant last year. Our visit even made the local paper - the Central Kentucky News-Journal!
RUX cohort members were housed throughout the weekend on the Campbellsville University campus. Friday began with introductions and an orientation to the community, and the cohort met CU faculty, staff, and local & student groups, including Dr. Donna Hedgepath (Provost & VP Academic Affairs), Charity Powell (Director of First Gen and Belonging), QEP: Civil Discourse with Dr. Nathan Gower and Dr. Shawn Williams, and Natasha Nall (Taylor County Public Library). The cohort met for the first time in Home Rooms, completed individual growth mapping, and held storycircles.
The cohort then spent the evening at Homeplace on Green River, where they were welcomed by Program Director Lyn Stanton. The evening began with charcuterie from Knobby’s Deli, and the cohort mixed and mingled with special guests including Greg Gribbins & Julie Dennis (Taylor County Tourism) and local authors Betty Jane Gorin-Smith, Nathan Gower, Susan Howell, in addition to local organizations including Taylor County 4-H, Forever Green River, Inc., Taylor County Tourism, Hiestand House and the Archive, and Bookmobile Librarian Natasha Nall & the Taylor County Public Library Bookmobile.
We then enjoyed a narrative stage (moderated by Sarah Schmitt from Kentucky Arts Council) about local sense of place past & present with Matt Egbert (CU History), Richie Kessler (Forever Green, Inc.), Clem Haskins (ranch owner), and Jerome Winfrey (farmer). After the narrative stage, the cohort had a BBQ dinner from Brothers with sides by local Sue Dillery. We heard a beautiful performance from local singer-songwriter Hannah Coomer - during which we were blessed with a magical double rainbow!
On Friday night, the cohort had the option to “choose their own adventure,” with some cohort members returning to hang out in Downtown Campbellsville & on the CU campus, and others heading to Clay Hill Memorial Forest to go stargazing & mothing with incoming RUX cohort member & Clay Hill Memorial Forest Environmental Educator Amy Berry.
On Saturday morning, the cohort enjoyed a donated breakfast from Messy Bun, Druther’s, Harden Coffee, and Best Donut. The cohort was then hosted at Primrose on Main, where they learned about alumni-led projects and met in their Abundant Futures groups. A potato bar and salad bar were provided by Messy Bun for lunch.
The afternoon was spent at Clay Hill Memorial Forest, where the cohort learned about local conservation efforts from Dr. Jonathan Moore (Clay Hill Memorial Forest Director) & Amy Berry, and went on volunteer-led hikes, including to see incoming RUX cohort member Nathaniel Hendrickson’s on-site Camera Obscura installation. The cohort then embarked on a portion of the local African American Heritage Driving Tour, facilitated by Betty Jane Gorin-Smith and Wanda Washington (Greater Campbellsville United). The afternoon closed out on campus with time in Home Rooms, and a snack of empanadas from local Dominga Salazar Ramirez.
On Saturday night, the cohort was hosted throughout Downtown Campbellsville and on the CU campus for a variety of activities, including a game night on campus, Kentucky Trivia at East First Brewery and live music from The Perfect Fit Band at Bourbon Boutique. The cohort also enjoyed special business hours at downtown businesses for local shopping, including at Londonberrie Paper Co., Sweetwater Bookshop, Daybreak: A Handmade Collective, and Cottage Corner.
After time in Home Rooms for growth mapping and identity groups, the cohort checked out of CU lodging and traveled to Green River Lake State Park late Sunday morning, where they had a taco bar lunch from Fiesta Mexico. We then had a community conversation moderated by RUX Steering Committee & Campbellsville Host Committee member Shaelyn Bishop about ecotourism & environmental organizations in Taylor County, hearing from Julie Dennis (Taylor County Tourism), Josh Bratcher (KYDFWR Park Ranger), Richie Kessler (Forever Green River, Inc.), and Brian Gray (retired KYDFWR Wildlife Biologist). The weekend ended with a closing circle and optional swimming at the park.
This weekend would not have been possible without local partners and sponsors including Campbellsville University, Dr. Donna Hedgepath, Renee Dobson Realty, Citizens Bank, Primrose on Main, Taylor County Tourism, Taylor County Public Library, Harden Coffee, Homeplace on Green River, Brothers, Campbellsville Mainstreet, East First Brewery, The Messy Bun, Druther's Restaurant, Best Donut, and Bourbon Boutique. Additional support was provided by Art of the Rural, Appalshop, the National Endowment for the Arts, the W. L. Lyons Brown Foundation, and the Kentucky Arts Council. Thank you all for supporting RUX and making our first visit to Campbellsville extra special!
