Arts & Culture

‘Art of Covid’ exhibit honors UK’s AAPI employees

A photograph submitted to the "Art of Covid" exhibit by Shuling Fister, with the UK College of Medicine.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 28, 2022) — Through Nov. 4, visitors to the Gatton Student Center can view an art exhibit expressing the pain, empowerment and pride of University of Kentucky’s Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) employees during the pandemic.

“Art of Covid” is the culmination of a two-year effort by faculty and staff across 11 colleges and offices at the university. The event was to collect and exhibit visual or literary works from a contest that reflected the individual and collective experiences of UK faculty and staff over the past two years.  

Art works were collected beginning in May, and winners were announced at the end of June. A total of 37 pieces of art were submitted, in a variety of forms, including poems, dances, sculptures, drawings, paintings, essays and photos.

With funding from the participating UK colleges, a total of $2,900 was awarded to 10 winners — two first-place winners ($500 each), three second-place ($300) and five third-place ($200).

A tabletop exhibit of the entries will be available for viewing three times a week through Nov. 4.

View a brochure here that includes a list of winners along with their entries and more details about the competition.

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.