LexArts 2014 Fund For the Arts campaign off and running

Lexington’s United Arts Fund sets record goal of $1.25 million

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 19, 2014) — ArtsPlace, home to LexArts, Lexington’s United Arts Fund and community arts organization, was abuzz as close to 200 arts administrators, area business leaders, local government officials, arts patrons and others gathered at ArtsPlace on Tuesday to officially kick off the 2014 Fund for the Arts Campaign. The goal for this year’s campaign is $1.25 million.

This year, the campaign will focus on the theme ART = achievement, which will highlight the importance of the arts in the lives of our children. The event was hosted by LexArts President & CEO James M. Clark.

“Our campaign theme underscores the importance of making the arts accessible to young people, in school and after school,” Clark said. “Arts exposure and training have proven to be linked to student achievement and community engagement. Why wouldn’t we make the arts more available so that our children have a greater chance to succeed and be productive citizens?”

Campaign Chair L. Tracee Whitley, Chief Operating Officer of Bingham McCutchen and a relative newcomer to Lexington, shared her insight on Bingham’s decision to locate to Lexington.

“When my firm Bingham McCutchen decided to establish our Global Services Center in Lexington last year, the quality of life in the communities we explored was a key intangible factor that supplemented the quantitative side of our business analysis,” Whitley said. “During the final stages of our search process that involved more than 350 U.S. cities, it became apparent that Lexington had a remarkably vibrant and impressive array of arts and cultural institutions.”

John Long, chairman of the board of LexArts, honored long-time board member, Vice Mayor Linda Gorton, with a Community Partner Award for her unwavering support of the arts in Lexington and her steadfast commitment to creating a culturally rich and vibrant city in which to live, work and raise our families. The program also included special guest performances by three of LexArts’ partner organizations — a duo from the Lexington Philharmonic, students from Central Kentucky Youth Orchestras’ North Limestone MusicWorks and an ensemble from Lexington Children’s Theatre.

“The campaign kickoff this morning was everything we hoped it to be. Jim Clark’s emotional retrospective and the challenge for this campaign linked with Mayor Gray’s vision for the arts and our city was compelling,” Long said. “Tracee Whitley’s management of this year’s campaign and passion for her newly adopted community balanced against Vice Mayor Gorton’s look back put the campaign into perspective. All this intertwined with the wonderful performances makes me think how lucky we are to call Lexington home.”

The annual kickoff breakfast celebrates the beginning of the Fund for the Arts Campaign each year. To date, the fund has raised over $223,000 towards the 2014 goal.