Skills in the spotlight: UK arts admin students anchor 250Lex preconcert event
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 8, 2025) — Students from the University of Kentucky Department of Arts Administration assisted behind the scenes during the Lexington Philharmonic’s 250Lex: Concert for Lexington, gaining important experience and learning valuable lessons.
Students from Melanie Turner’s "Event Planning and Management for the Arts" course collaborated with community partners to help put on the outdoor preconcert celebration on the Singletary Center for the Arts lawn. This event served as both a community gathering and a learning experience for students.
Under Turner’s guidance, students assisted with coordinating the outdoor pre-show activities on the law, setting up the space, assisting vendors, directing patrons, and managing the performance stage. Turner emphasized that this kind of hands-on experience is important to the AAD curriculum.
“This year, we moved the course from spring to fall so students could plan a real event,” said Turner, a lecturer in the Department of Arts Administration. “This shift from planning fictional events to planning and managing an actual event with real stakes is invaluable for hands-on learning.”
The preconcert celebration the students assisted with was not only a great learning experience, but it also set the tone for a successful performance.
“The events on the lawn helped create a celebratory atmosphere for the concert,” said Brooke Raby, Lexington Philharmonic’s executive director. “We loved being among so many great Lexington musicians and organizations.”
Arts administration student Merritt Manire said volunteering broadened her understanding of community-focused event planning.
“The main principle of event planning I observed was the importance of coordination and communication,” Manire said. “This experience demonstrated just how essential teamwork and preparation are to creating a successful community event.”
These early experiences can shape students' transition into the arts workforce.
“I began working in my current role a little over two years ago, having started part-time at the same time I started my junior year,” said Faith Lindsay, arts program assistant in the Lexington Mayor’s Office, and a UK arts administration alum. “Being able to work in this role while still being a student was greatly beneficial to what I was learning as an arts administration student. I was able to connect what I learned in the classroom with the work I was doing in my job.”
Through their work with the Lexington Philharmonic, UK arts administration students gained practical experience, community connections and insight into professional arts operations. Their involvement in 250Lex not only supported a major city celebration but also reinforced the value of hands-on learning within the Arts Administration program. Opportunities like this help prepare students for successful careers in the arts while enriching the cultural life of Lexington.
“Community is everything to me,” said Manire. “This has even become a sort of life motto for me. It impacts the person I want to be, the work I want to do and the goals I want to accomplish.”
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.