$150 million gift to University of Kentucky will be used to build an arts district on Lexington campus

The donation by The Bill Gatton Foundation is the largest in the university's history.
Dec. 3, 2025
2 min read

Key Highlights

  • Plans include a new College of Fine Arts facility, a new theater, and a park pavilion near key Lexington landmarks.
  • The project aims to integrate arts into the city’s cultural scene and foster collaboration between the campus and the city.
  • Previous donations from Bill Gatton and his foundation total over $200 million.
Rendering by SASKI/RATIO.
University of Kentucky arts district

The University of Kentucky Board of Trustees has received a $150 million gift from The Bill Gatton Foundation to construct a new arts district on the Lexington campus, including a new College of Fine Arts building and a several-hundred seat theater.

The gift is the largest in the university’s history.

“This gift will realize a vision to create an arts district on the western edge of our campus,” said University President Eli Capilouto. “There, we can integrate art into an area of Lexington that is an increasingly vibrant and vital intersection of campus and city, town and gown.”

The gift will make possible:

  • Relocation and construction of a new College of Fine Arts Building along South Broadway next to the newly constructed Gray Design Building.
  • Construction of a several-hundred-seat theater that will house performances of dance, music and theater.
  • Creation of a pavilion, with a park near the existing School of Arts and Visual Studies Building and a short walk from the city’s Gatton Park at Town Branch, Rupp Arena, Central Bank Center and the Distillery District.

Construction will require legislative authorization to issue bonds.  Discussions have already begun with legislative leaders about the project.

Previous gifts to University of Kentucky from alumnus Bill Gatton and his foundation total more than $200 million.

About the Author

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Mike Kennedy

Senior Editor

Mike Kennedy has been writing about education for American School & University since 1999. He also has reported on schools and other topics for The Chicago Tribune, The Kansas City Star, The Kansas City Times and City News Bureau of Chicago. He is a graduate of Michigan State University.

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