Lexington is awarding 18 cultural grants to local organizations ahead of its 250th anniversary next year.
The city says it’s awarded $300,000 to residents, nonprofits, cultural organizations and performing arts centers. The money will be used to create new art and activities around Lexington ahead of a year-long celebration in 2025.
Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton says it’s meant to drum up interest in a slate of activities planned for the city’s Lex250 anniversary.
“These grants will help Lexington residents produce high quality, meaningful programming that focuses on tourism, broadening and diversifying participation and engagement,” Gorton said.
Tripp Bratton of Empower Rhythm, a performing arts nonprofit focused on African drumming traditions, is one of the organizations receiving funding. He says they’ll use the money to produce a documentary on the history of African drumming in Lexington, pop up performances and more events.
“There is a large and unknown – well, relatively unknown – tradition of hand drumming in Lexington that we really want to bring out and make our youth feel part of that,” Bratton said.
Other organizations recognized were the Marafiki Center, which recognizes Lexington’s African and Swahili-speaking community, and Casa de la Cultura, which celebrates Lexington’s Latino culture.
The full list of awarded organizations includes:
- Kentucky Humanities
- Allegro Dance Project
- Bluegrass Youth Ballet
- Mary Todd Lincoln House
- Keeneland Library Foundation
- Christine Kuhn
- Marafiki Center
- Greenroom Exchange
- Lexington Children’s Theatre
- Faulkner-Morgan Archive
- Carnegie Center
- Black Yarn
- M’Power Rhythm
- Central Kentucky Youth Orchestra
- OperaLex
- Casa de le Cultura
- Jeff Hoagland
- A Sense of Place
A calendar of events for Lex250 is planned to be released in September.
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