Singletary Center hosts inaugural Visual Music Festival: A Fusion of Sound and Sight
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 3, 2025) — The Singletary Center for the Arts will debut its Visual Music Festival Saturday, Feb. 8, celebrating the intersection of music and visual artistry.
Conceptualized and curated by Singletary Center Audio Services Coordinator Kristine Stresman, this event brings together a global collection of artists pushing the boundaries of music and visual expression.
Held in the Singletary Center’s Recital Hall, this full-day immersive experience invites audiences to explore the relationship between sound and imagery. Featuring more than 100 audiovisual pieces from artists across five continents, the festival showcases the innovative ways in which abstract visuals and dynamic soundscapes interact — creating a multisensory experience unlike any other.
“The SCFA Visual Music Festival has been an absolute joy to curate. It’s been both an honor and a thrill to immerse myself in the thoughtful expressions of talented artists and provide a platform for their craft,” said Stresman. “While audio-visual works are often seen as a product of the digital age, our presentation proudly continues the creative legacy pioneered by painters and filmmakers over a century ago. The festival truly offers something for everyone, showcasing diverse animation styles like stop-motion, op-art, film collage and CGI, paired with extraordinary soundscape compositions. Prepare to be surprised and inspired by something truly unforgettable.”
The festival program runs from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., allowing visitors to drop in at any time throughout the day. Admission is free and open to the public, offering an opportunity for art enthusiasts, students, and casual attendees alike to engage with cutting-edge audiovisual art.
Capping off the festival is a special 7 p.m. screening of “Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance,” the landmark 1982 non-narrative documentary directed by Godfrey Reggio. Accompanied by an iconic minimalist score composed by Philip Glass, the film is renowned for its breathtaking cinematography by Ron Fricke, juxtaposing images of nature and modern civilization to create a powerful, thought-provoking experience.
While the film screening is free, tickets are required for entry and can be reserved online, by phone at 859-257-4929 or by visiting the Singletary Center ticket office, 405 Rose St. in Lexington.
“The Singletary Center is bringing artists and ideas from all over the world to Lexington, and I’m delighted to continue our dedication to exploring new creative expressions through the Visual Music Festival,” said Singletary Center Director Matthew Gibson. “I invite everyone to indulge their curiosity in the new works of the festival and to return in the evening to enjoy one of the most distinctly-singular films ever made in ‘Koyaanisqatsi.’ This will be a day of sonic and artistic exploration, and all of it is free to anyone who wishes to attend.”
Whether you are an art lover, a music enthusiast, or simply curious about the way the mind processes sound and imagery, the Visual Music Festival, right here in Lexington, offers a rare opportunity to witness the harmony of light and sound in a way that defies convention.
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A part of the University of Kentucky’s College of Fine Arts, the Singletary Center for the Arts presents and hosts around 400 artistic, cultural and educational events annually for UK’s campus, the Lexington community and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Find a performance you’ll love at SingletaryCenter.com.
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.