By Jana Atcher

Apparel that once was admired in the distance under the lights of the stage can now be appreciated up close and personal at a campus art museum.

The UK Student Activities Board is presenting a costume exhibit, which opens today and runs through Sept. 28, to showcase pieces from plays put on by the UK theater department and the Lexington Children’s Theatre.

The costumes displayed at the Rasdall Gallery in the Student Center will include Victorian hats, corsets and other intricate pieces from plays like “As You like It,” “The Busy Body,” “Tales from the Guignol” and “Electra.”

“Everything is made and fabricated by UK students,” said Callie Hanks, an arts administration sophomore and director of cultural arts for SAB.

The costume gallery is a bit edgier than normal art exhibits are, Hanks said.

“If you go to an art gallery, (costumes are) not something typically thought of,” Hanks said. “It is also supporting the work of fellow students and the community.”

“We wanted to do something a little more homegrown,” she said.

The cultural arts committee recently expanded its focus to include theater, music, dance and spoken word, instead of only looking at traditional forms like paintings, photography and sculpture. Hanks said the change has broadened the network of artists represented in the exhibits.

Hosting new genres of exhibits gives students from all majors the chance to be involved in art and forms of expression on campus, Hanks said.

The exhibit will be open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Sept. 28.