A young girl gazes down at her stomach where a cluster of butterflies flutter, a kaleidoscope of colors dancing against her skin. 

Another girl, her cheeks dusted with the soft blush of roses, meets the viewers’ gaze, an open book resting gently in her hands as if she’s ready to share its secrets. 

Across the gallery, a mother and father cradle their newborn, their eyes brimming with love, their smiles filled with the quiet awe of new life. 

These are just some of the paintings on display at the “ART with HEART” exhibit in the Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center (PMDAC) in Lexington, Kentucky, running from Jan. 10 to March 1.

The exhibit is housed on the second floor of PMDAC, in the community gallery, which is reserved specifically for local artists and curators such as Cate Wagoner. 

For Wagoner, the exhibit is about more than art, it’s a mission and a call for awareness about the pervasive, yet often hidden, crisis of domestic violence in Kentucky.

According to the 2023 Kentucky Domestic Violence Data Report, 1 in 2 women and 1 in 3 men in Kentucky have experienced domestic violence. Yet, Wagoner said “it’s one of those things that no one talks about.”  

Refusing to let silence win, Wagoner decided to take action through art by partnering with the nonprofit organization The Nest. 

According to The Nest’s website, the nonprofit aims to prevent abuse by supporting families through a variety of free programs including childcare, family counseling and advocacy for survivors of domestic violence. A portion of net proceeds will benefit The Nest after the exhibit’s conclusion on March 1. 

When discussing why she chose to partner with The Nest, Wagoner said “They’re the only people in the state that have childcare for situations like this.”

Beyond that, Wagoner was drawn to The Nest’s support for entire families, not just survivors, but children, partners and those caught in the web of abuse.

Wagoner, who attended Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia, has been a practicing artist for nearly 20 years and credits art as her “lifelong love.” 

Beyond her love for art, Wagoner is deeply committed to raising awareness about domestic violence and uplifting local artists.

“This has sort of been a lifelong passion for me,” Wagoner said. “I don’t think people realize with this kind of domestic violence that it affects everyone . . .  and so it (the exhibit) was just the way that I wanted to give back and the artists were very generous in supporting me and helping me with this.” 

When discussing domestic violence, Wagoner emphasized that it goes beyond intimate partner abuse and can impact entire families.

“I don’t think people start out with the idea of the anger and a lot of times it ends up in abusive situations that are sad for both the perpetrator, the victim, the children, everyone involved,” Wagoner said.

Wagoner went on to encourage those in abusive situations “not to give up and maybe not give up on the people involved either.” 

Wagoner is no stranger to curating. She balances both roles of curator and artist seamlessly, using her deep ties in the Lexington art community to bring together a diverse collection of works for this exhibit.

Accessibility was just as important to Wagoner as artistic quality. She carefully selected pieces at a range of prices from $100 to $2,500 in an effort to make the art accessible while still supporting her cause. 

According to Wagoner, 20 out of the 42 pieces displayed in the exhibit have sold thus far with some artists choosing to donate 100% of their proceeds to The Nest.

Among the contributing artists is Graham Pohl, a Lexington resident since 1981 who has been sketching and painting for as long as he can remember.

Though Pohl’s career was in architecture, art remained his lifelong passion. A passion he fully embraced after retirement. Now, his work finds a meaningful home in “ART with HEART.”

“I always painted when I traveled and when I retired I started really digging into it,” Pohl said. “I think I just had a need to draw and to paint just in my blood.” 

A longtime contributor to The Nest, Pohl thought the exhibit was a “good fit” for him.

“It felt good to me . . .  It’s a good fit and nice to participate in something that goes beyond just exhibiting your work,” Pohl said. 

Celeste Lewis, the recreation manager at PMDAC, is also a strong advocate for giving back to the community through art. She said she hopes those coming to the exhibit will get to know The Nest’s mission and the importance of the work they do. 

“When you’re a small nonprofit, it’s easy in a town as bustling and as busy as Lexington . . . to get lost in the shuffle. And it’s wonderful that if you don’t have a big marketing budget, and all that sort of thing, that a nonprofit could count on someone like Cate to call attention to what they’re doing,” Lewis said. 

Lewis, a UK graduate with a degree in art studio, said that art is “at the center of everything” and plays a vital role in stimulating the economy, strengthening relationships and enhancing quality of life.

“I feel like there’s almost nothing in our lives that art doesn’t touch,” Lewis said.

As showcased in the “ART with HEART” exhibit, art has the power to spark conversation and raise awareness about issues like domestic violence, a topic that is often overlooked and not given the awareness it deserves.