The Student Activities Board is allowing students to experience the city of Lexington without leaving campus. 

It is hosting the first ever Kentucky Artist Appreciation Fair, an event meant to celebrate Lexington on Thursday. 

Director of Cultural Arts Julia Nickel, a sophomore majoring in Community and Leadership Development and Spanish, organized the fair.

“The reason behind this event is to show appreciation and support of the local community,” Nickel said. 

Artists and businesses are participating in the event, which will showcase Lexington talent. Students can receive free food while seeing local artisans, and learning a new skill such as screen printing and jewelry design. 

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SAB contacted some of the participating artists through the Lexington Art League’s Artist Archive Project, Nickel said. Other connections were made in person at the monthly Night Market, an event sponsored by Kentucky for Kentucky, which will participate in the Artist Appreciation Fair. 

Nickel contacted an employee at Kentucky for Kentucky and the business agreed to donate merchandise that will be used for giveaways at the event, said manager Justin Mosteller. The merchandise is an incentive for students to visit a circuit of artists at the fair. 

Kentucky for Kentucky is often involved with cultural events around Lexington. In addition to the Night Market and the Artist Appreciation Fair, the company has donated to Keeneland for College Scholarship Day. 

“We’re all about local artists and promoting their goods,” Mosteller said.  

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Kentucky for Kentucky will be joined by other Lexington businesses such as Crank & Boom Ice Cream. 

Whether they are from Lexington, another city in Kentucky, or another state altogether, students will get to know the city better at the Kentucky Artist Appreciation Fair. 

“We are hoping that UK students walk away with better exposure and understanding of the local art and business scene, and perhaps a greater appreciation of art itself,” Nickel said.

The event will be held from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Creative Arts Studio, room 136 of Holmes Hall.