The Lexington mayor’s office hosted “Art on the Town,” a program that showcases an array of local artists to highlight the city’s artistic talent.
Held on Thursday, April 10, and sponsored by organizations such as VisitLEX and the Blue Grass Community Foundation, the event was held at “Thursday Night Live” in Tandy Park and brought Kentucky artists to local events, allowing them to showcase their work.
Created to “revitalize downtown,” “Art on the Town” is a free program for artists funded by the city to make art more accessible, according to University of Kentucky arts administration major and event runner, Faith Lindsay.
Lindsay said although events like “Thursday Night Live” draw in the crowd, the art is what makes them stay, saying it provides artists a no-cost way to get their art out in the world.
“This is just a really nice way for artists to be able to sell their work and get connected to the arts community,” Lindsay said. “Especially because it is open to so many Kentucky artists.”
Lindsay said the Lexington art scene is contained in exclusive galleries, making it “extremely difficult” for artists to get their work into these spaces, saying “Art on the Town” instead gets art directly onto the streets and into customer’s hands.
According to Lindsay, without easy access to art, Lexington becomes an unattractive city, the murals and art being what attracts tourism and builds a community.
“You know all the murals around Lexington,” Lindsay said. “Without those, we just have a lot of concrete buildings.”
When buying art from “Art on the Town,” customers not only gain new decor but also the artist’s unique story, something every artist shared with those they encountered, according to Lindsay.
Lindsay said removing the arts diminishes a city’s value and diminishes tourism, as recent executive orders have targeted the arts and art education.
“Having artists out doing their work . . . helps expand what the city of Lexington is,” Lindsay said. “It’s nice to have these opportunities for community members and tourists to connect directly with artists and understand that even though we’re outside these big metropolitan cities, we have such a good art scene.”
Attendee Jaeyln Woods said although she came to “Thursday Night Live” to enjoy the music and food, she fell in love with the art and connections she made.
Through talking with local artists, Woods said she was able to have conversations with artists and build a “one-on-one connection” with them that she never expected to make.
Woods said local art establishes a special bond, saying seeing an artwork from a place they visited creates a connection between the customer and the artist, something uniquely fostered by events such as “Art on the Town.”
“Art creates the morale of the city,” Woods said. “I feel like anybody could walk up to the artists and talk to them, but I feel like when you get to meet the artists, you understand that they are local.”
Artist and vendor, Jennifer Millard, said people can connect with one another through conversations surrounding art and with the community of artists based in Lexington as well.
According to Millard, “Art on the Town” shows why it is so important to keep art in the hands of the community.
“Art is a dying form in culture and schools,” Millard said. “We need art in order to keep our lives interesting.”
According to Millard, art serves as a unique means of communication, saying when customers visit her booth, they leave with a story.
Millard said every color, texture and design choice conveys a message to customers, saying that making art more accessible can resonate with an entire generation.
“Art is a visual way to communicate and especially if somebody’s not very good at your communication or written communication,” Millard said. “I think art is another way to communicate and it’s a very great way for people that are creative to be able to express themselves.”
