A grateful farewell: GSA leaders reflect on 6 years of transformation, support at UK

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 1, 2025) — In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when it became apparent that the Governor’s School for the Arts (GSA) was not going to meet in person for its session in the summer of 2020 — which would have been its second on the University of Kentucky campus — Nick Covault, who was GSA director at the time, said he would never forget the first words he heard from UK leaders.

“How can we help?”

That cooperative spirit has been a hallmark of GSA’s six years on UK’s campus, which came to an end July 26.

Adapting to change was the hallmark of GSA’s tenure at UK. In 2020, GSA students and staff worked remotely, with students in their own homes. 2021 brought a hybrid model where students came to campus, but participated in classes virtually from their residence hall rooms.

GSA underwent a major evolution in 2022, adding a second three-week session to the total program, doubling the number of students served. In the six years UK hosted GSA, including 2020, 2,800 high school sophomores and juniors lived and learned on the university’s campus.

“Our years at UK saw constant change,” said Covault, who holds bachelor’s degrees in music performance and arts administration from UK. “The university’s ability to be supportive throughout those shifts was invaluable.”

The Governor’s School for the Arts is a program for talented high school sophomores and juniors in nine different arts disciplines: creative writing, dance, design, drama, film and photography, instrumental music, musical theater, visual art, and vocal music. Students are selected by audition and come from all over Kentucky.

GSA held its first session in 1987 and, until 2019, it had never been hosted at the University of Kentucky.

“I had assumed we had been hosting it,” UK College of Fine Arts Dean Mark Shanda told the Lexington Herald-Leader in 2019. “But we had not. So, I aggressively worked with the president’s and provost’s offices to put together a proposal for UK to become the host.”

Covault said from the moment the partnership was announced during a 2019 press conference in Holmes Hall, UK “rolled out the blue carpet” for GSA.

“We felt very celebrated and seen by UK,” Covault said. “I’m also grateful we’ve been able to share stories of so many GSA alumni, staff and faculty who have also called UK home over the years, either as UK alumni or faculty.

“The amount of crossover between the GSA and UK communities speaks to our aligned commitment to arts education.”

Current GSA Director Jason Brooks, who just completed his second year leading the program, said he has been touched by UK’s commitment to GSA.

“The University of Kentucky is one of the few institutions in the state that offers degrees and certifications across all of GSA’s artistic disciplines,” Brooks said. “This breadth has made it a natural fit for our program, as it allowed young artists from across the Commonwealth to experience, firsthand, the caliber of facilities and resources available to them should they choose to pursue their education at UK.”

The shift in 2022 from one session to two doubled the number of students who had the opportunity to attend GSA, but it also presented a logistical challenge. Covault said UK never wavered at the prospect of that dynamic change.

“Put simply, UK showed up and said, ‘Let’s figure this out together.’” Covault said. “There were so many learnings we discovered in the process of doubling the size of the program, and UK’s team helped GSA figure out all the fine details. The support of our Wildcat colleagues undoubtedly contributed to our ability to provide our students with a quality experience, whether it was a June session or July session.”

By the time Brooks took over for the summer of 2024, double sessions had become a norm. He singled out the UK College of Fine Arts for its support of GSA’s broadened mission.

“The College of Fine Arts went above and beyond in providing staffing and hospitality that were truly invaluable to our work,” Brooks said. “From allowing us access to faculty offices, to assembling a dedicated team of student workers who supported us daily throughout the summer, their partnership made the logistical side of the program run far more smoothly.”

“The staff at Champions Kitchen made us feel at home,” added Covault. “The staff at (UK Police Department) and UK HealthCare ensured we were safe and cared for.”

In reflecting on his two years as GSA director, Brooks said he felt the campus was aligned with GSA’s core values.

“The University of Kentucky … provided the environment and resources that allowed us to reinforce a message central to GSA: your art has value, and you, as an artist, are important.”