Lexington’s first Civic Artist-in-Residence project will end with a showcase of three artists’ work after 13 months of collaborating with city employees. The projects will be presented 5 – 8 p.m. on Friday, July 15, at the Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center, 141 E. Main Street.
“I’m so excited about the work that has been done over the past year, and the unique perspectives these artists have brought to help transform local government,” Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton said. “These artists have brought new ways to think about how our local government communicates and interacts with residents, and now everyone has an opportunity to see the collaborative projects these artists have created with our city employees.”
Three artists were selected by a 26-member Advisory Committee that included city employees and community members.
- Debra Faulk, a local comedienne and actress, worked with the City’s Department of Social Services. She will lead participants in team-building skills and breaking through barriers with comedy and humor.
- Hannah Allen is a local quilter and fiber artist who worked with the City’s Department of Finance. The event will include a sampling of her handmade quilts exhibition, “Piecing a City,” which tells the stories about the finances of city government.
- Anthony Gilmore, a film producer and director, worked with the City’s Department of Environmental Quality and Public Works. He has developed a board game, “The Living City,” about the complex work of Environmental Quality and Public Works employees.
“It has been inspiring to see the collaborative process and creative outcomes achieved by LFUCG employees and these enormously resourceful artists,” said Heather Lyons, the City’s Director of Arts and Cultural Affairs. “Together, they found new and unique ways to share the complex work of city government and to encourage greater civic engagement from our community.”
The Civic Artist-in-Residence program was made possible through the collaborative work of CivicLex, Blue Grass Community Foundation, and the City, and supported by a federal Our Town grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
