UK receives largest gift in history to create new arts district

LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — The University of Kentucky accepted a historic $150 million donation from The Bill Gatton Foundation to build a comprehensive arts district on campus, marking the largest single gift in the university’s history.

The major donation will fund construction of a new College of Fine Arts building, a several-hundred-seat theater, and create an integrated arts community along South Broadway that connects campus with downtown Lexington, according to a news release.

“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 ambitious project includes relocating and constructing a new College of Fine Arts building next to the recently built Gray Design Building along South Broadway. The development will also feature a theater designed to house dance, music and theater performances.

Plans call for creating a pavilion and park connecting several blocks around South Broadway and Bolivar Street, near UK’s existing School of Arts and Visual Studies building, the release read. The location positions the arts district within walking distance of Gatton Park at Town Branch, Rupp Arena, Central Bank Center and the Distillery District.

Construction requires legislative authorization to issue bonds, though Capilouto said discussions with legislative leaders have already begun.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear praised the donation’s broader impact beyond the university.

“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,” 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.”

Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers expressed eagerness to move forward with the project.

“I’m anxious to authorize bonds so that construction can begin quickly,” Stivers said. “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.”

Kentucky House Speaker David Osborne highlighted the gift’s significance for the state.

“Bill Gatton’s extraordinary generosity has transformed lives across Kentucky, and today’s historic gift continues that legacy,” Osborne said. “His vision for education, community and the arts reflects the very best of our Commonwealth’s values.”

The latest donation adds to Bill Gatton’s remarkable philanthropic record at UK, with previous gifts totaling more than $200 million. His contributions have supported the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, the Gatton College of Business and Economics, the Gatton Student Center and scholarship programs including UK LEADS.

Capilouto emphasized Gatton’s deep connection to Kentucky in his closing remarks about the donation.

“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.”