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At the Fine Arts Institute, we open our doors to our local artistic community as a place to learn anew or expand on existing creative skills. Our classes and workshops are open to the public, those 18 years and older. Our goal is to provide community learning opportunities that utilize the university’s state-of-the-art facilities. From woodworking, metalworking, ceramics, textiles, digital art, and more, the FAI wants you to push your creative boundaries in our creative setting. All experience levels are welcome.

Please direct your Fine Arts Institute inquiries to fineartsevents@uky.edu.

Refund Policy Update

The refund policy for the Fine Arts Institute was updated May 2025. Please be sure to familiarize yourself with the new policy in the Frequently Asked Questions section on this page or in the Online Payment Terms and Conditions.

Spring Update Coming Soon

Spring 2026 classes and workshops for February 2nd - April24th will be added soon. Registration is expected to open in early December.

Participation and Cancellation policies can be found below in the Frequently Asked Questions section. If you have any questions please contact us at fineartsevents@uky.edu.


Classes

Take part in one of these 3-12 week courses offered by our expert instructors. Classes usually meet once a week in the evening.

Workshops

Limited on time? Just want to dip your toes in a little creativity? Workshops are 1-3 days, typically taking place in one evening or over one weekend.


FAQs

Who can register for classes?

Participants must be 18 years of age or older.

Our classes and workshops are open to members of the public who are 18 years of age or older. You do not need to be a student or employee of UK to register. The Fine Arts Institute is not an after school program or geared toward instructing children in the arts; it is an adult education and enrichment program. We are unable to accept younger students at this time. There are no exceptions to this policy.

Do I need to register in advance, or can I just show up?

Pre-registration is required for all workshops and classes.

How should I pay?

You can register and pay online via our registration form on Jotform. Cash is no longer an accepted form of payment, and phone payments cannot be accepted due to logistics. If you can only pay via check, please contact the program coordinator at 859-207-8918 or fineartsevents@uky.edu.

Payment must be received in advance of attending the first class.

Many of our classes come with associated Materials Fees. Some are included in the class cost at time of registration, some are paid directly to the instructor so they may bulk purchase materials through their suppliers, and some direct you to buy your own materials. In the latter two cases, your instructor will provide materials instructions before or at your first class. Materials fees are always listed with the class and workshop information.

Can I take Fine Arts Institute classes for college credit?

No. The Fine Arts Institute is hosted by the UK College of Fine Arts, but it is a separate community education program and our classes are not for academic credit.

A class is missing from registration, what happened? Can I be added to a waitlist?

Class and workshop space is not infinite, options may be removed at any time due to cancelation or full enrollment. Wait-listing for full classes is not available. While individual cancelations may happen and seats reopen, we cannot guarantee anyone's place in a class. If you are interested in a class or workshop, register as soon as possible!

The Fine Arts institute at UK reserves the right to cancel a course when circumstances warrant, including insufficient enrollment. If a course has been canceled, participants will be notified and a refund will be issued.  The program coordinator will send additional communications after you complete payment to either confirm your seat or inform you of cancelation.

What is the Fine Arts Institute refund policy if I need to cancel?

Cancellation Policy: If a course or workshop is canceled in whole due to low enrollment or other extenuating circumstances, you will be contacted as soon as possible by the Director, and a full refund will be issued.

Refund Policy: As the Fine Arts Institute is funded via student participation, our instructors are paid the bulk of tuition received. Refunds are not available for withdrawals, individual absences, or workshops. If you have an extraordinary case, please contact the Director.

Class Credit: Due to the nature of how class and workshop dates flow, the Fine Arts Institute is not able to provide credit toward future classes/workshops.

Attendance: If you as a student miss a class meeting for any reason, that's okay!  No one is being graded or judged, this is all purely voluntary, but if you would like to catch up on missed material speak with the instructor about potential options.  Partial refunds are not available for absent sessions.

Our instructors receive the greater part of the class fee as their salaries, so this policy was adopted in fairness to them. Please contact us if you have any questions: 859-207-8918 or fineartsevents@uky.edu.

Do you offer senior, military, UK employee, or other credits/discounts for your classes?

We do not offer discounts out of fairness to our instructors. The majority of class fees go directly to the instructor. We are a self-sufficient element within the university, and are not funded or subsidized in any way. Discounts are not possible at this time.

Where are classes held?

Classes are held in a variety of on and off-campus locations. Most commonly, classes are held in the School of Art and Visual Studies Building and the Metal Arts Building. If a class or workshop requires travel to multiple locations, transportation is not provided.

Where do I park?

Parking can be a challenge at UK. If visiting on a weekend or evening, most lots are available without restriction, but be sure to carefully read the signs posted at the entrance to each lot. During regular business hours, most parking is restricted and parking regulations are strictly enforced. Metered parking and pay parking are available at certain lots and parking structures around campus. The closest pay lots to the School of Art & Visual Studies Building is Parking Structure #5 on South Limestone. You can also purchase single-use 24-hour parking permits at the UK Parking Offices located at 721 Press Avenue of Virginia Avenue.

Main entrance of the School of Art and Visual Studies building.

Art and Visual Studies Building
Address
236 Bolivar Street, Lexington, KY 40506

The Rose Street main entrance of the Fine Arts Building.

Fine Arts Building
Address
465 Rose Street, Lexington, KY 40506-0022

One of the exterior sets of entrances of Holmes hall on Avenue of Champions.

Holmes Hall - Creative Arts Living Learning Program
Address
111 Avenue of Champions, Lexington, KY 40508

Interior of a large metal building. A bright red digital plasma cutting table is nearest the viewer; with many gas tanks, welders, tables, and other equipment to work with metal in the background.

Metal Arts Building
Address
349 Scott Street, Lexington, KY 40506