Students are preparing to dance the night away for a good cause on April 23 at the Beaux Arts Foundation’s annual Beaux Arts Ball.

The Beaux Arts Foundation is one of the largest student-run, nonprofit organizations in Lexington, according to its site, beaux-arts-ball.org. The mission of the foundation is to enrich the Lexington community by encouraging its citizens to partake in a wide range of art forms and making these art forms more accessible.

The foundation hosts public events, such as the Beaux Arts Ball, to carry out its mission while also raising money to assist charities that seek to improve the lives of Kentuckians.

“We’re really excited to have the community get involved with Beaux Arts,” said Michael Gómez-Hidalgo, public relations director of the Beaux Arts Ball and an integrated strategic communication senior. “That’s the entire reason we host Beaux Arts Ball: to give back to our community and raise awareness of the arts in Lexington.”  

This year, proceeds from the Beaux Arts Ball are being used to support multiple initiatives, including AIDS Volunteers, Inc., The Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning, and The Plantory.

The ball will feature a lineup of musicians, including Space Jesus as the headliner, and other artists such as Gitsum, Ellie Herring, Jamples, Johnny Conqueroo, Driftwood Gypsy, Chuch Puppy and Lancelott. In addition to the musical performances, ball-goers will get the chance to enjoy a fashion show in collaboration with the Lexington Fashion Collaborative.

Another focal point of the ball will be art installations created by UK students.

“Beaux Arts attempts to give a platform for design students to present their work in a setting outside the normal academic setting they encounter in their design education,” said Tara Prasad, executive director of the event and an architecture  sophomore. “We try to provide a real-world situation in order to tie in and encourage these students to test out the reality of what their design work could be in an interactive setting.”

For students who get hungry after hours of dancing, food trucks will be set up outside.

To attend the event, guests need an ID that shows they are 18 or older, and a ticket, which costs $25 for general admission.

“All of the funds raised at Beaux Arts Ball go towards helping local charities and nonprofits, so we’re hoping that the Lexington community supports us in that vision and comes out to party with a purpose,” Gómez-Hidalgo said.