Welcome to the UK Art Museum

The University of Kentucky Art Museum, part of the UK College of Fine Arts, promotes the understanding and appreciation of art from diverse cultures and historical periods, providing meaningful encounters for audiences of all ages. Through our temporary exhibitions, educational programs, and permanent collection of approximately 5000 objects, we are a resource for the campus community and a cultural destination for citizens of the Commonwealth and beyond.  Our Free Admission policy removes any financial obstacle that might stand in the way of opportunities for contemplation and connection.

We are proud to be accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, meeting standards for excellence and professional practices.

Mark Klett and Byron Wolfe, Site of a Dangerous Leap, Now Overgrown, 2008, digital inkjet print. Collection of the UK Art Museum, purchase: The Robert C. May Photography Fund.

Site of a Dangerous Leap

The title and spirit of this exhibition was inspired in many ways by a photograph made by Mark Klett with Byron Wolfe. An intrepid climber bounds from one rocky outcrop to another; caught in mid-air, his landing is uncertain. Klett started out as a straight photographer, but began marrying…

Ralph Eugene Meatyard, Untitled from the series Georgetown Street, circa 1955-56, gelatin silver print. Collection of the UK Art Museum, gift of the Ralph Eugene Meatyard Estate.

Ralph Eugene Meatyard: Georgetown Street

In the early 1950s, Ralph Eugene Meatyard and Van Deren Coke set out to photograph all the people, homes, and businesses on Georgetown Street in Lexington. Together they made 150 images and exhibited thirty of them in the Lexington Camera Club’s annual show in November 1956. The results are…

William Hogarth, Gin Lane, 1751, etching and engraving on paper. Collection of the UK Art Museum, purchase: Gaines Challenge Fund.

Sinners and Saints

Oscar Wilde said, “Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future,” acknowledging that we are all works in progress, and most of us struggle with both good and at least somewhat malicious impulses over the course of our lives. Sinners and Saints examines both the labels and the…

Alex Katz, Red Coat, 1983, color screenprint on paper. Collection of the UK Art Museum, purchase: Gaines Challenge Fund.

Among Women

On June 24, 2022, the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark piece of legislation that made access to an abortion a federal right in the United States. This action dismantled fifty years of legal protection for women and control over their reproductive health.  This was not a…

Image captions:   Amber Boardman, Pink March, 2017, oil on polyester. Collection of the UK Art Museum, gift of the artist.

re:museum

The re:museum exhibition is getting a re:fresh in 2023 with a new set of artworks and updated displays.  

re:museum centers the Museum and our permanent collection by exhibiting a combination of artworks, educational prompts, and other incisive displays. The artworks…

Barbara Rossi, Pedestrian Rainbow Lady, 1969, proof on satin. Collection of the UK Art Museum, gift of Kohler Foundation, Inc.

Barbara Rossi: Bodily Forms

In 2022, the Museum received a generous gift of Barbara Rossi works from the Kohler Foundation in Wisconsin, and several of these are included in this exhibition. The artist is associated with the Chicago Imagists, along with Roger Brown, Gladys Nilsson, Jim Nutt, Ed Paschke, and Karl Wirsum,…

Edward Fisk, Self-Portrait, 1939, oil on canvas. Courtesy of the Edward Fisk estate.

Edward Fisk: Legacies

In September 1926, American modernist Edward Fisk left New York City to join the art department at the University of Kentucky. He had been embedded in avant-garde art circles in the city, where he exhibited in the company of friends like Stuart Davis, Charles Demuth, and Marsden Hartley. He was…

Created 08/13/2021
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Last Updated 07/01/2022