The Bill Gatton Foundation donates largest gift in UK’s history to support arts district

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The University of Kentucky Board of Trustees has accepted a $150 million gift from The Bill Gatton Foundation to construct a new arts district, including a new College of Fine Arts building and a several-hundred seat theater.

The gift is the single largest in UK’s history, according to a release by the university on Tuesday.

“This gift will realize a vision to create an arts district on the western edge of our campus,” UK President Eli Capilouto said. “There, we can integrate art into an area of Lexington that is an increasingly vibrant and vital intersection of campus and city, town and gown.”

The gift will make possible:

• Relocation and construction of a new College of Fine Arts Building along South Broadway next to the newly constructed Gray Design Building.
• Construction of a several-hundred-seat theater that will house performances of dance, music and theater.
• Creation of a pavilion, with a park that will connect several blocks on and near South Broadway and Bolivar Street, near UK’s existing School of Arts and Visual Studies Building and a short walk from the city’s Gatton Park at Town Branch, Rupp Arena, Central Bank Center and the Distillery District.

More information about this gift and initiative is available by clicking here.

UK says construction will require legislative authorization to issue bonds. Capilouto said discussions have already started with legislative leaders about the project.

According to Capilouto, the College of Fine Arts community will be involved in discussions about programming for the new arts district as well as planning for the future of facilities, such as the Singletary Center and UK Art Museum.

“We have much work to do, which will require engagement, discussions and planning with a large number of stakeholders,” Capilouto said. “That is in front of us and we are committed to that process.”

“This $150 million gift — the largest in UK’s history — will help not only the university but also Lexington and Kentucky, as it creates a vibrant, welcoming arts district for students, Kentuckians and visitors to enjoy,” Gov. Andy Beshear said. “Education and the arts fuel our economy and our workforce, and investments like these are how we keep working to build a bright future for generations.”

“I’m anxious to authorize bonds so that construction can begin quickly,” said Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers. “This expansion may be the impetus for more students pursuing a fine arts degree and perhaps working in the film industry, a growing industry made possible by Senate Bill 1 of the 2025 session.”

“Bill Gatton’s extraordinary generosity has transformed lives across Kentucky, and today’s historic gift continues that legacy,” said Kentucky House Speaker David Osborne. “His vision for education, community and the arts reflects the very best of our Commonwealth’s values. It celebrates our incredible heritage and makes way for an even more promising future. This arts district will not only enrich the University of Kentucky, but will also strengthen Lexington and our entire state.”

The gift serves as another milestone of remarkable giving on behalf of UK alumnus Bill Gatton and his foundation, the university says. According to UK, Gatton’s previous gifts to UK total more than $200 million on behalf of the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, the Gatton College of Business and Economics, the Gatton Student Center and scholarship programs such as UK LEADS, which serve to close the gap for students with unmet financial need.

“Place matters. And Mr. Gatton’s place was always Kentucky,” Capilouto said. “More than most, Mr. Gatton understood so well that we advance as a state in so many ways — health and education, the economy and the well-being of our people. But he knew, too, that there must be places and spaces to gather, to convene, to come together, to share and have our horizons expanded and our souls replenished. Today, we mark acceptance of a remarkable gift, made through the generosity of a remarkable man, who always returned to the thing that mattered most: Kentucky.”