UK College of Fine Arts Announces Cancellations, Postponed Arts Events
LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 16, 2020) — The University of Kentucky College of Fine Arts has announced that several concerts, exhibitions and theatrical productions previously scheduled for March and April have been canceled or postponed due to concern surrounding coronavirus.
"Our priority is the health and safety of our College of Fine Arts family — our students, faculty, staff, and patrons. Due to mounting concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, we have postponed several events," UK College of Fine Arts Dean Mark Shanda said.
Among the arts programming canceled or postponed are season productions, including:
- UK Opera Theatre's "The Crucible" (postponed to fall 2020);
- UK Department of Theatre and Dance's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (postponed to fall 2020);
- School of Music's Modern Band Workshop;
- UK Symphony Orchestra's March concert;
- Big Band Blast;
- UK Choirs programming including Lori Hetzel’s anniversary concert, "After Dark," and the UK Choristers and Chorale spring concert (postponed);
- UK Theatre and Dance Studio season; and
- School of Art and Visual Studies Foundations Show (postponed and will be presented virtually).
In addition, Fine Arts Institute classes at UK School of Art and Visual Studies have been postponed until April 6.
For a list of updated events and more details presented through the College of Fine Arts, please visit https://finearts.uky.edu/news/college-fine-arts/covid-19-closures-and-postponements.
These programming decisions were made in part due to University of Kentucky’s shift to alternative instruction policy which prevented these projects the opportunity to continue to rehearse, as well as due to recommendations across our community to avoid large gatherings of people to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The college is working to reschedule as many events as possible. If you have already purchased tickets to events you will receive a refund.
"Arts institutions around the globe are facing these challenge," Shanda noted. "We are a community of artists who take care of each other. We will find ways to keep the arts alive during this crisis and we will find ways to recover. Take care of yourself. Take care of each other."
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.