Celebrating Commonwealth connectivity at The Golden Thread 2025
The Golden Thread 2025 brought together visionary leaders & performers from across Kentucky, and the RUX alumni & partner network.
Photos by M. Tyler McDaniel and Hannah Almon Matangos
The Golden Thread: Weaving a Culture of Connection took place on Sunday, November 2, 2025, at The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts in Louisville.
Before the mainstage event, we hosted a special meet & greet for our ticket winners with emcee Silas House & featured performer Nicholas Jamerson backstage, where we learned more about their connection to the evening’s celebration and inspirations behind their art.
With everyone gathered in the Bomhard Theater, the mainstage event was then kicked off by Silas, who read his poem “Those Who Carry Us,” which celebrates the interconnected geographies & care of Kentucky communities.
“We carry each other, from Pine Mountain/to the Pennyroyal. Past tulip/poplars and goldenrods. From city/streets to holler roads, from the wide/Ohio to the quickening/creeks of the Gorge,/we go forward, together.”
—Excerpt from Silas House, “Those Who Carry Us”
We first heard from Kim Baker, President and CEO of Kentucky Performing Arts (KPA). KPA generously co-hosted and co-presented The Golden Thread again this year, a continuation of our long-time partnership with them. RUX Co-Founder and Art of the Rural Exchange Director Savannah Barrett then took the stage and shared the importance of RUX’s approach in finding common ground, bridging Kentucky communities, and growing Kentuckians’ capacity to foster civic health across georaphies.
Mitchell L. H. Douglas performs original poetry. Photo by M. Tyler McDaniel.
Our first performance was Mitchell L. H. Douglas, Co-Founder of the Affrilachian Poets, who read “Black Classical,” an original poem dedicated to his father, reflecting on their relationship and the importance of Black art & music in his upbringing.
Melanie A. Davis performs at The Golden Thread. Photo by M. Tyler McDaniel.
Murray-based singer-songwriter Melanie A. Davis then took the stage and performed her song “Golden Lasso,” which shows the importance of looking out for your community when times are hard.
The heart of the celebration was the "Long Conversation," a relay of short, unmoderated conversations stitched together by themes of commonality and a shared future. This year, the Long Conversation brought together:
Lindy Casebier, Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Secretary
Betty Dobson, African American Heritage Commission Chair & Hotel Metropolitan
Stacy Edds-Ellis, Greater Owensboro Leadership Institute
Dreama Gentry, Partners for Rural Impact
Dr. Gabrielle (Gabby) Harvey, DSW, LCSW, Appalachian Rekindling Project
Nima Kulkarni, New Americans Initiative
Luisa Sanchez, Kentucky Student Voice Team
Michael Washburn, Kentucky Waterways Alliance
Deshondre Watters, No More Red Dots
From tourism to ecology, to youth education and immigrant civic engagement, to community safety & generational healing, these visionary leaders spoke to a myriad of Kentucky’s identities, regions, and issues faced by communities across the Commonwealth.
Luisa Sanchez & Dreama Gentry during the Long Conversation. Photo by Hannah Almon Matangos.
“Kentucky is in a good place to lead, for rural & urban places to come together. Coming together in Kentucky, we’ve done it for so long and can be an example for the country.”
—Dreama Gentry
Founder & CEO, Partners for Rural Impact
“We should be investing in education. Our culture…is impacted by education. It is at the core of our democracy.”
—Luisa Sanchez
Cross-organizational Coordinator, Kentucky Student Voice Team
Secretary of State Michael G. Adams delivers remarks. Photo by M. Tyler McDaniel.
We were then joined by Secretary of State Michael G. Adams, who spoke about Kentucky’s civic health and celebrated the importance of working across divides.
“When we don’t know each other, we don’t trust each other. That’s where RUX comes in…This is how we bring Kentucky and America back from the brink.”
—Secretary of State Michael G. Adams
The Golden Thread 2025’s mainstage event closed out with a set from singer-songwriter Nicholas Jamerson, who hails from Prestonburg. His original music shared the stories & sounds of Appalachian Kentucky.
After the mainstage event, our evening ended with a reception featuring a closed cocktail hour and time to mingle with speakers, performers, and 10 years of RUX alumni. Attendees enjoyed culinary expressions by Chef James Coogle of the Chef’s Table and Lexus Lounge and craft beverages.
We were joined by hundreds of Kentuckians from the RUX network and beyond at this celebration, and look forward to another year of bringing together Kentuckians through shared stories, shared meals, and shared geographies. Stay golden, Kentucky!
The Golden Thread 2025 was presented by the Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange and Kentucky Performing Arts. We are grateful to our Contributing Sponsor Louisville Public Media for getting the word out about the event, and to our Supporting Sponsors Appalachian Impact Fund & the Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute at the University of Louisville, and to our Promoting Sponsors Owensboro Health and Partners for Rural Impact. We are also grateful for the support from many other organizations & individuals over the past 11 years. Thank you for the time and resources you provide KY RUX!
About the Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange (RUX)
The Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange (RUX) is a creative leadership program with over 300 alumni from 65 Kentucky counties and an expansive, cross-sector member and partner network across the state. RUX was founded in 2014 as a program of Art of the Rural and Appalshop. Learn more at kyrux.org
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