Explore what UK’s art museum has to offer this summer

There’s a hidden gem on our lovely campus that we at the Kernel feel is necessary to bring to everyone’s attention: the UK Art Museum.

The museum, located inside the Singletary Center for the Arts, is Lexington’s only accredited source for students to feed their hunger for art. While the Lexington Gallery Hop provides an outlet for this during the summer months, there is very little to engage Lexingtonians in their search for art.

Currently, students can view drawings by John Lennon, and prints from Andy Warhol and Pablo Picasso without driving to art museums in Louisville or Cincinnati.

While the UK Art Museum houses different collections throughout the year, it is somewhat hidden inside Singletary Center, and those outside the UK community might not have known an art museum actually existed in Lexington. This city, in its continued growth, should consider expanding its current culture district.

As of now, the cityis taking steps backward in youth engagement by creating plans to remove one of the few venues for music, The Dame, and replacing the beloved music hall with the CentrePointe project. As reported in the Kernel on April 25, UK President Lee Todd has endorsed this project, which has upset many students who, upon graduation will have the choice of either staying in Lexington or moving to cities with a more varied cultural arts center.

Lexington currently offers its citizens a strong theater and performing arts center, yet aside from the UK Art Museum, residents of the city must travel to larger cities to view a variety of different fine art.

As the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games approach their Lexington appearance, we at the Kernel believe one of the ways Lexington can look to creating a stronger, more tourist friendly city is by looking into the possibility of creating a permanent venue for art. By building up a strong art museum, with programs and events throughout the year, the city would draw in more than horse enthusiasts.

Until that day, the UK Art Museum is certainly a hidden treasure for students and residents alike. Currently, the museum offers the following exhibits and collections:

n Permanent Collections Gallery

  • Breaking Tradition, Forging Ahead: WPA Prints from the Collection, May 10 — Sept. 15
  • Andy Warhol: Fame and Photography, May 10 — August 24
  • From Picasso to Warhol: Modern and Contemporary Works on Paper from the Collection, May 25 — Aug. 24

For more information about the UK Art Museum and its upcoming exhibitions, visit www.uky.edu/ArtMuseum or call (859) 257-1756.