LexArts Finance and Equity Presentation
Abraham Lincoln mural in downtown Lexington. Source: Carol M. Highsmith
In Tuesday’s Budget, Finance, and Economic Development (BFED) Committee Meeting, President & CEO of LexArts Ame Sweetall will present an overview of LexArts’s finances and their efforts toward investing in diverse artists and arts organizations.
LexArts is the combined united arts fund and cultural council for Lexington. They use a combination of LFUCG funding and private fundraising to invest in other arts organizations in Lexington and in their own programming. Their goal is to create new opportunities for Lexington residents to engage with local arts, and to provide local artists with opportunities to create and showcase their work.
Vice Mayor Dan Wu placed this item in Committee after LexArts faced blowback for an incident involving the selection of all white artists for an art placement project with Commerce Lexington. LexArts did not select the artists, but shared the announcement on Facebook and drew criticism for a historic lack of investment in artists of color. In placing the item in committee, Vice Mayor Wu also cited concerns about the organization’s finances.
The presentation does not include any information about their previous fiscal year budgets, but does show a detailed chart of their $2.7 million revenue goal for FY25, and a list of grants they are awarding to various arts organizations in FY25.
LexArts's FY25 Revenue Plan. Source: September 24th Budget, Finance, and Economic Development Committee packet.
The presentation also outlines work LexArts has undertaken to support diversity in Lexington’s arts scene, including creating a new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee on their board and utilizing their Artist Registry to connect artists of color with funding and work opportunities.
You can review the full presentation starting on page 30 of this packet.
The Budget, Finance, and Economic Development Committee will meet on Tuesday, September 23rd at 1pm in Council Chambers. You can attend in-person or watch live on LexTV.
Disclaimer: CivicLex has been a grant recipient of LexArts on a number of occasions for various programs, including a $1,500 in FY25 for a Civic Artist in Residence program pilot.
