College of Fine Arts News

Twirlers and Sweetheart Majorette Twirling line are national champions

UK College of Fine Arts takes the world stage

From the theatres of London's West End to the streets of Istanbul to the concert halls of Corfu to a Parisian classroom, University of Kentucky College of Fine Arts students are turning the entire globe into their classroom.

UK students selected for 2026 University Open at LexArts

Miriam Kienle: 2026-27 University Research Professor Q&A

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 9, 2026) — Miriam Kienle, Ph.D., associate professor of art history in the School of Art and Visual Studies in the College of Fine Arts at the University of Kentucky, has been honored as a 2026-27 University Research Professor.

CFA Arts Admin and UK Art Museum researchers explore history of modern dance through photography

Dance is motion. Photography is stasis. And when the two are combined, something new is created: a moment of suspension.

Arts Administration Chair Wins 2026 William B. Sturgill Award

The Beat Podcast: Laura Neese

UK School of Music senior Dejah Watts advances to Metropolitan Opera Laffont National Finals

School of Music Celebrates Student Achievement at Annual McCracken Awards Ceremony as part of the Friends of Music Celebration Weekend

The University of Kentucky School of Music culminated its academic year with a Celebration Weekend at the Singletary Center for the Arts, bringing together two days of awards, performances, and recognition of student excellence.

Intersections of Arts & Health: A Research/Creative Activity Symposium Recap

On March 27, the College of Fine Arts hosted Intersections of Arts & Health: A Research/Creative Activity Symposium, bringing together faculty, researchers, and practitioners from across the University of Kentucky campus and beyond for a full day of conversation at the Art and Visual Studies Building. 

The Beat Podcast: Aaron Levi Garvey

UK alum Mary Joy Nelson sparks joy for the arts with local up-and-coming young artists

UK alum returns to campus for ‘Curators in Conversation’

A University of Kentucky alum whose career has taken him from the Andy Warhol Museum to the United Nations is returning to campus to speak with current students about where an arts administration degree can take them.

CFA undergrads to present at national research conference

Forty-eight University of Kentucky students will present their research at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) on April 13-15 in Richmond, Virginia. NCUR is one of the largest events in the United States for undergraduate students to share their academic work with peers, faculty and professionals.

UK SA/VS presents a Transatlantic student photography collaboration

The University of Kentucky School of Art and Visual Studies (SA/VS) invites the public to experience “The Americas Photo Exchange,” an international student photography exhibition, Feb. 26-March 26, in the Bolivar Art Gallery.

UK study: ‘Person-centered care’ improves lives of dementia residents, caregivers

For many Kentuckians with dementia, medical interventions may seem like the only choice, but a new University of Kentucky study shows that prioritizing joy and engagement through enrichment activities is vital for the health of both residents and the caregivers who support them.

Warhol Foundation supports UK Art Museum research on pioneering photographers

The University of Kentucky Art Museum received a $38,000 Curatorial Research Fellowship Grant from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts to fund research on two photographers working in Lexington in the mid-twentieth century.

The sound of science: UK researchers translate biology into music

For centuries composers have attempted to mimic the natural world in music.

Nick Johnson and Max Gambrell

In our latest episode we sit down with Nick Johnson, a School of Music alumnus and Program Director of the Creative Arts Living Learning Program, and Max Gambrell, a senior music education major

Art and digital media design faculty selected as '26 Derby Festival poster artist

University of Kentucky School of Art and Visual Studies lecturer Shae Goodlett has been named the artist for the official 2026 Kentucky Derby Festival poster. Goodlett’s design will be featured on the festival’s 2026 official merchandise line, including clothing, accessories, glassware and mugs.