Arts & Culture

Whether you’re in the mood for great musicals, national and international museum exhibits, charming children’s productions, outdoor performances, or touring Broadway plays, Lexington hosts a variety of arts and cultural opportunities that f it many interests. Leading the way for the advancement of the arts locally is LexArts, Lexington’s cultural development, advocacy and fundraising organization. As both the area arts council and united arts fund, LexArts provides a wide range of programs and services designed to integrate the arts into our community. Through its annual Fund for the Arts, LexArts raises millions of dollars in support of local arts and distributes general operating support to its Partner Organizations, as well as offering competitive special project and programming grants to other arts organizations in the area.

An organization called Arts Connect is dedicated to creating more arts awareness and vitality in the community through programs, resources and meaningful engagement, and by supporting all forms of artistic expression and creative endeavors.

Theater buffs have several well-known facilities from which to choose to watch performances, including the Lexington Opera House and Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center, the Lyric Theatre and Cultural Arts Center, ArtsPlace, Lexington Children’s Theatre, Singletary Center for the Arts on the University of Kentucky campus, and the Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center. Inside many of these venues, you’ll see performances by Central Kentucky Youth Orchestras, the Lexington Philharmonic, The Lexington Theatre Company, and many others. Great arts education opportunities are available at The Living Arts & Science Center (LASC), which inspires participation of youth and adults in art and science by engaging the community through education, discovery, exploration, and creativity. It features hands-on and interactive instruction in arts and science directly from professional educators and active artists and scientists. If it’s museums you’re seeking, then you’ll want to check out the Aviation Museum of Kentucky near Blue Grass Airport, as well as the history resources of the Lexington History Museum at www.lexhistory.org. The Bluegrass Region is proud of its arts and cultural component, and support of the arts stretches to both the public and private sectors.