Arts & Culture

Kentucky Derby Festival Poster Designed by UK Alum Casey McKinney

photo of Kentucky Derby Festival poster "Pegasus in Bloom" by Casey McKinney
"Pegasus in Bloom" by Casey McKinney

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 26, 2020) A design by University of Kentucky alumnus Casey McKinney was unveiled as the 2020 Kentucky Derby Festival poster.

McKinney’s artwork, named “Pegasus in Bloom,” was chosen to represent the Kentucky Derby Festival because of its colorful design. The poster features a pegasus racing through a field of colorful flowers and shapes, with fireworks and hot air balloons floating in the sky.

McKinney, a Louisville native, told the Kentucky Derby Festival staff, “The inspiration for 'Pegasus in Bloom' comes from the energy and vibrancy of our city during the Derby Festival. I’m proud to call it (Louisville) home and humbled to be named the poster artist for 2020.”

Upon graduating from UK in 2001, McKinney has become well-known for his murals throughout Kentucky. Central Kentucky residents will be familiar with his Henry Clay mural found on East Vine Street in Lexington, Kentucky. As an artist and muralist, he can often be found painting skateboard decks or in his home studio.

Posters are now available for preorder and will go on sale March 5. Individuals interested in ordering the Kentucky Derby Festival’s 2020 poster may visit https://1213apparel.com/.

The UK School of Art and Visual Studies, part of the College of Fine Arts, offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the fields of art studioart history and visual studiesart educationcuratorial studies and digital media design.

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.