UK Alumnus Named Director of Governor's School for the Arts

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 17, 2016) — The Kentucky Center has appointed University of Kentucky music performance and arts administration alumnus Nick Covault to the position of director of its Governor's School for the Arts (GSA) program.

As director of GSA, Covault will be responsible for supervision of the program, which for nearly 30 years, in partnership with the state, has enabled Kentucky high school students to engage in the arts during a three week, immersive residential summer program, providing instruction in nine disciplines: architecture and design, creative writing, dance, drama, instrumental music, musical theatre, new media, visual art and vocal music. The program also works to engage high school students across the state interested in the arts through its fall ArtShops program.

Covault is a 2002 graduate of GSA, where he studied vocal music. At UK, he earned bachelor's degrees in vocal music performance and arts administration. After graduating, he worked for LexArts in Lexington, before relocating to Louisville to join the staff of GSA as program coordinator and registrar. He transitioned into the role of programming and community engagement manager for The Kentucky Center for four years before accepting the position of director of GSA. He is the first GSA alumnus to serve as director of the program.

"The Kentucky Center Governor's School for the Arts is proud to have one of its own graduates now at the helm," said Kim Baker, president of The Kentucky Center. "Nick brings a wealth of experience in the arts and an unparalleled background specific to GSA. His unique perspective will support his vision of creating a life-changing experience for today's Kentucky high school students, much in the same way it was for him."

Covault's accolades have included participation in SouthArts' groundbreaking Dance Touring Initiative, the Emerging Leader Institute of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters, and the Global Fellowship Program of the International Society for the Performing Arts. He was recently listed as one of Business First of Louisville's 2016 Forty Under 40 Honorees and has been named a compassion laureate by Compassionate Louisville.

Active in the local and statewide community beyond his role at The Kentucky Center, Covault currently volunteers for Kentucky Refugee Ministries and serves on the steering committee for the Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange convened by Art of the Rural and Appalshop. He has served on the board of directors for Squallis Puppeteers and is one of the founding organizers of PosSOUPbility (a meal-based community event that generates micro-grants for innovative grassroots initiatives). Covault strives to remain active as a musician, and has twice stage-directed Bourbon Baroque and Squallis Puppeteers' collaborative production of the one-act opera "Les Sauvages."

GSA is a public/private partnership inaugurated in 1987 by The Kentucky Center, the Commonwealth of Kentucky and numerous private supporters. Today, the vital funding required to make GSA a reality is provided by the state through the leadership of the Governor's Office and the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, as well as The Kentucky Center Endowment Fund, Toyota Motor Manufacturing and more than 300 corporations, parents, educators, alumni and friends of GSA.

The mission of The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts is to lead and enrich the artistic, educational and economic vitality of the region by providing unparalleled programming and cultural events. The center serves Kentucky through education and initiatives which expand and diversify audiences while enhancing their understanding, appreciation and support for the arts.

UK is the University for Kentucky. At UK, we are educating more students, treating more patients with complex illnesses and conducting more research and service than at any time in our 150-year history. To read more about the UK story and how you can support continued investment in your university and the Commonwealth, go to: uky.edu/uk4ky. #uk4ky #seeblue

MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Hale, 859-257-8716; whitney.hale@uky.edu