Arts & Culture

UK School of Art and Visual Studies throws open its doors with the return of Open Studio

Open Studio presented by UK School of Art and Visual Studies is a wonderful time to see the talents of UK's visual art faculty, students and staff and purchase unique gifts for your holiday shopping list.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 28, 2023) — University of Kentucky School of Art and Visual Studies (SA/VS) is bringing back its popular Open Studio this December. The school will throw its doors open again 5-8 p.m. Friday,  Dec. 1, in the Art and Visual Studies Building located at 236 Bolivar StOpen Studio is a free public event which gives Central Kentucky the opportunity to visit art studios, buy one-of-a-kind gifts and celebrate the holidays.

The art studios of undergraduate and graduate students will be open to the public for this rare opportunity and the school's Bolivar Art Gallery will be housing the annual Carey Ellis Juried Student Show, showcasing the best students' work from the school, as well as "In-Between" featuring the work of the graduating digital media design students. Stop on in and get a bowl of chili and stay warm during these winter festivities.

Open Studio highlights will include:

  • custom tree ornaments; 
  • artisanal gift wrapping; 
  • pottery sale; 
  • open art studios of BFA and MFA students;
  • art sales; and 
  • food and song.

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 studio, art history and visual studies, art education, curatorial 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.