Tourism, Arts and Heritage Kentucky Center for the Arts
Actual FY 2024Actual FY 2025Revised FY 2026Recommended FY 2027Recommended FY 2028
SOURCE OF FUNDS
General Fund
Regular Appropriation558,300622,500622,500603,800603,800
Budget Reduction-General Fund(18,700)
Total General Fund558,300622,500603,800603,800603,800
TOTAL SOURCE OF FUNDS558,300622,500603,800603,800603,800
EXPENDITURES BY CLASS
Grants Loans Benefits558,300622,500603,800603,800603,800
TOTAL EXPENDITURES558,300622,500603,800603,800603,800
EXPENDITURES BY FUND SOURCE
General Fund558,300622,500603,800603,800603,800
TOTAL EXPENDITURES558,300622,500603,800603,800603,800
EXPENDITURES BY UNIT
Governor's School for the Arts558,300622,500603,800603,800603,800
TOTAL EXPENDITURES558,300622,500603,800603,800603,800
Kentucky Center for the Arts ("The Kentucky Center") is the Commonwealth's premier performing arts center. The Kentucky Center serves over 400,000 people each year. It is the performance home of the state's largest orchestra, opera, ballet, Broadway and children's theatre productions. In addition, The Kentucky Center presents a variety of national and international artists.
The Kentucky Center houses three theaters: the 2,448-seat Robert S. Whitney Hall, the 619-seat Moritz von Bomhard Theater, and the 139-seat Boyd Martin Experimental Theater. The facility features a multi-tiered lobby, rehearsal halls, and spaces for social and business events.
The Kentucky Center provides a wide range of nationally recognized educational programs, including professional development for teachers, partnerships with schools and community centers, and opportunities for artists to work in classrooms. The Center is also a leader in providing award-winning access services that make the theater experience possible for patrons with disabilities. The Kentucky Center, in partnership with the Kentucky Arts Council, provides access and technical consulting services for arts and cultural organizations across Kentucky. The Kentucky Center's management also provides theatrical consulting services throughout the state.
The Governor's School for the Arts (GSA) is a model program, recognized nationally by the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities and the National Endowment of the Arts. GSA was established in 1987 to address the needs of an underserved Kentucky population: Kentucky's artistically gifted and talented young people. Whereas opportunities for advanced academic work has been widely available to Kentucky's academically gifted students, opportunities to pursue advanced work in the arts have been considerably more limited, particularly for geographically and/or economically marginalized students. GSA not only plays a vital role in preparing students for their pursuit of careers in the arts, but also prepares them for all facets of professional life requiring leadership, critical thinking, exceptional communication skills and understanding of the multi-cultural world. The school currently serves 512 students.