University of Kentucky Accepts Historic $150 Million Gift to Launch New Arts District
Bill Gatton Foundation donation will fund new College of Fine Arts building, theatre and arts campus linking to downtown Lexington
The University of Kentucky has accepted a record-breaking donation of US$150 million from the Bill Gatton Foundation to create a new arts district on its Lexington campus.
The Board of Trustees approved the gift on December 2, 2025, making it the largest single gift in the institution’s history.
The funds will underwrite construction of a new College of Fine Arts building along South Broadway, a multi-hundred-seat performance theatre, and a pavilion with a connecting park designed to integrate campus and city life.
The arts district will stretch across the western edge of campus and link to downtown Lexington — bringing academic arts, performance spaces and public green spaces into closer proximity.
In announcing the gift, the university’s president said the plan reflects a long-held vision: to provide arts students with “a state-of-the-art home” worthy of their talents, and to create a hub where creativity can flourish.
The donation honours the legacy of Bill Gatton, a longtime alumnus and benefactor, whose previous contributions already reshaped several colleges and facilities across the university.
State officials and lawmakers have greeted the gift as a transformative investment not only for the university but the region at large.
Approval from the Kentucky General Assembly will be required to issue bonds before construction can begin — discussions with legislative leaders have already begun ahead of the 2026 session.
Once completed, the arts district is expected to deepen cultural offerings at the university, foster greater engagement between students and the community, and contribute to the broader revitalisation of Lexington’s city core through arts, performance and public space.
The gift also reinforces the growing trend of philanthropic investments in higher-education arts infrastructure at a time when universities nationwide seek to strengthen their creative and cultural missions.
With support secured and plans in motion, the University of Kentucky is now poised to redefine its role as a major cultural anchor in the region.
The Board of Trustees approved the gift on December 2, 2025, making it the largest single gift in the institution’s history.
The funds will underwrite construction of a new College of Fine Arts building along South Broadway, a multi-hundred-seat performance theatre, and a pavilion with a connecting park designed to integrate campus and city life.
The arts district will stretch across the western edge of campus and link to downtown Lexington — bringing academic arts, performance spaces and public green spaces into closer proximity.
In announcing the gift, the university’s president said the plan reflects a long-held vision: to provide arts students with “a state-of-the-art home” worthy of their talents, and to create a hub where creativity can flourish.
The donation honours the legacy of Bill Gatton, a longtime alumnus and benefactor, whose previous contributions already reshaped several colleges and facilities across the university.
State officials and lawmakers have greeted the gift as a transformative investment not only for the university but the region at large.
Approval from the Kentucky General Assembly will be required to issue bonds before construction can begin — discussions with legislative leaders have already begun ahead of the 2026 session.
Once completed, the arts district is expected to deepen cultural offerings at the university, foster greater engagement between students and the community, and contribute to the broader revitalisation of Lexington’s city core through arts, performance and public space.
The gift also reinforces the growing trend of philanthropic investments in higher-education arts infrastructure at a time when universities nationwide seek to strengthen their creative and cultural missions.
With support secured and plans in motion, the University of Kentucky is now poised to redefine its role as a major cultural anchor in the region.
