Kentucky Arts Council celebrates 50th anniversary with 50 Days of Art

Events run through March 20, 2016

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Nov. 17, 2015) — To commemorate its 50th anniversary as a state agency, the Kentucky Arts Council kicked off its “50 Days of Art” celebration Nov. 14 in Owensboro.

“50 Days of Art” is a collection of 50 events hosted by Kentucky Arts Partnership groups around the commonwealth through March 20. The events were selected to be representative of the diversity of art, the geography of the state and accessibility to the public

The arts council was created in 1965 by Gov. Edward T. Breathitt’s executive order and was written into statute by the General Assembly at its 1966 session

“For 50 years, this agency has prospered, largely due to support from Kentucky’s local and regional arts organizations and advocates,” said Lori Meadows, arts council executive director. “It’s only fitting that we celebrate our own anniversary by drawing attention to arts events across the Commonwealth, helping those organizations grow the way we have over five decades.

The first event of “50 Days of Art” on Nov. 14 was the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro,” at RiverPark Center’s Cannon Hall in Owensboro. The orchestra partnered with Kentucky Opera and Kentucky Wesleyan Singers to bring Mozart’s comic opera to the Owensboro stage.

The Kentucky Opera and the RiverPark Center are also Kentucky Arts Partnership groups.

“50 Days of Art” events (all times EST unless noted):

• Nov. 19 – Richmond Area Arts Council, “Reflection City” Book Reading and Signing, 5:30 p.m., Richmond Area Arts Center, Richmond
• Nov. 20 – The Living Arts & Science Center, Art from the Archives (exhibit), 5-8 p.m., Lexington
• Nov. 21 – Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, “Stairway to Heaven,” 7:30 p.m., Florence Baptist Church at Mount Zion, Florence
• Nov. 28 – Actors Theatre of Louisville, “A Christmas Carol,” 2 p.m., Louisville
• Dec. 3 – The Living Arts & Science Center, The Art of Stained Glass (exhibit), 6-8 p.m., Lexington
• Dec. 4 – Orchestra Kentucky, The Music of Michael W. Smith, 7:30 p.m. CST, SKyPAC, Bowling Green
• Dec. 5 – Louisville Chorus, Christmas Wonderland Holiday Pops Concert, 6 p.m., St. Mary’s Catholic Church, New Albany, Ind.
• Dec. 5 – Henderson Area Arts Alliance, The Willis Clan Christmas Tour, 7 p.m. CST, Henderson Fine Arts Center, Henderson
• Dec. 6 – The Carson Center, Anne and Jon Cowherd with Brian Blade and the Fellowship, 3 p.m. CST, Paducah
• Dec. 9 – Richmond Area Arts Council, Madison Strings Concert, 6 p.m., Richmond Area Arts Center, Richmond
• Dec. 10 – Actors Theatre of Louisville, “H.M.S. Pinafore,” 8:00 p.m., Louisville
• Dec. 12 – Louisville Ballet, “The Brown-Forman Nutcracker,” 7:30 p.m., Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts, Louisville
• Dec. 13 – Louisville Chorus, Christmas at St. Brigid – Carols of the Nativity, 4 p.m., St. Brigid Catholic Church, Louisville
• Dec. 15 – The Carson Center, Blue Man Group, 7:00 p.m. CST, Paducah
• Dec. 18 – Louisville Chorus, Nativity Carols and Holiday Gems, 7:30 p.m., Center for Rural Development, Somerset
• Dec. 19 – Lexington Children’s Theatre, “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,” 2 p.m., Lexington
• Jan. 4 – Kentucky Arts Council, Makings of a Master exhibit, Gallery on the Square, Franklin
• Jan. 5 – Actors Theatre of Louisville, “4,000 Miles” (play), 7:30 p.m., Louisville
• Jan. 7 – Community Arts Center, Artists Reception for New Year New Art, Danville
• Jan. 8 – The Clifton Center, Live at the Clifton Center featuring Tierney Sutton, 8 p.m., Louisville
• Jan. 10 – Kentucky Shakespeare, “Twelfth Night,” 1 p.m., Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts, Louisville
• Jan. 11 – Kentucky Arts Council, Kentucky Visions at the Capitol, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Capitol Annex, Frankfort
• Jan. 20 – Kentucky Arts Council, Arts Day in Kentucky, Capitol Rotunda, Frankfort
• Jan. 25 – Orchestra Kentucky, People’s Choice Concert, 7:30 p.m. CST, SKyPAC, Bowling Green
• Jan. 29 – Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, “The Wizard of Oz,” 7:30 p.m., The Carnegie, Covington
• Jan. 31 – Lexington Children’s Theatre, “Puss in Boots,” 2 p.m., Lexington
• Feb. 2 – Fund for the Arts, Arts Showcase and Campaign Kickoff, Brown Theatre, Louisville
• Feb. 4 – The Clifton Center, Live at the Clifton Center featuring True Blues with Eric Bibb and Corey Harris, 7:30 p.m., Louisville
• Feb. 6 – Orchestra Kentucky, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr., 7:30 p.m. CST, SKyPAC, Bowling Green
• Feb. 9 – Henderson Area Arts Alliance, “Million Dollar Quartet” (musical), 7 p.m. CST, Henderson Fine Arts Center, Henderson
• Feb. 10 – Kentucky Arts Council, Kentucky Visions at the Capitol, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Capitol Annex, Frankfort
• Feb. 11 – The Carson Center, “Peter Rabbit Tales,” 6 p.m. CST, Paducah
• Feb. 13 – Lexington Ballet, “Romeo and Juliet,” 2 p.m., Lexington Opera House, Lexington
• Feb. 14 – The Carson Center, “Saturday Night Fever” (musical), 7:00 p.m. CST, Paducah
• Feb. 17 – Grand Theatre, “Julius Caesar,” 7:30 p.m., Frankfort
• Feb. 18 – Back Alley Musicals, “Nunsense,” 7:30 p.m. CST, RiverPark Center, Owensboro
• Feb. 20 – Kentucky Opera, “Show Boat,” 8 p.m., Brown Theatre, Louisville
• Feb. 21 – Central Kentucky Youth Orchestra, Teen Arts Festival, all day, Singletary Center for the Arts, Lexington
• Feb. 23 – Kentucky Arts Council, Poetry Out Loud State Finals, 9 a.m., Grand Theatre, Frankfort
• Feb. 26 – Grand Theatre, Delbert McClinton Concert, 7:30 p.m., Frankfort
• Feb. 29 – Kentucky Arts Council, Kentucky Visions at the Capitol, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Capitol Annex, Frankfort
• March 2 – Actors Theatre of Louisville, Humana Festival of New American Plays, 7:30 p.m., Louisville
• March 5 – Kentucky Arts Council, Kentucky Crafted: The Market 2016, 9 a.m.-7 p.m., Lexington Convention Center, Lexington
• March 6 – Kentucky Arts Council, Kentucky Crafted: The Market 2016, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Lexington Convention Center, Lexington
• March 12 – Henderson Area Arts Alliance, “Echoes from the Front Porch” (play), 7 p.m. CST, Henderson Fine Arts Center, Henderson
• March 14 – Owensboro Symphony Youth and String Orchestra, Annual Dinner Concert, 6 p.m., St. Joseph and Paul Fellowship Hall, Owensboro
• March 15 – Kentucky Arts Council, Kentucky Visions at the Capitol, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Capitol Annex, Frankfort
• March 19 – Kentucky Ballet Theatre, Directors Choice, 7 p.m., Singletary Center for the Arts, Lexington
• March 20 – Owensboro Symphony Orchestra (Chamber Orchestra), Settle Memorial United Methodist Church Chamber Concert, 4 p.m. CST, Settle Memorial United Methodist Church, Owensboro
• For more information, contact Dan Strauss, arts council senior program analyst, at 502-564-3757, ext. 474 or [email protected].