Our Mission
To connect and inspire through the arts.
Our Vision
The arts awaken the shared humanity, empathy, and limitless creativity in everyone.
Our Values
KPA is WELCOMING
We create experiences and spaces where everyone feels a sense of belonging.
KPA is INCLUSIVE
We believe the arts belong to everyone.
KPA is INNOVATIVE
We believe in bold ideas and strong artistic voices to lead the way.
KPA is CONNECTED
We exist to bring community together.
KPA is COLLABORATIVE
We value relationships and partnerships that help us all succeed.
Our Impact
- Every year, 400,000+ people from throughout Kentucky, the nation, and the world, experience the arts both on and off our stages.
- Kentucky Performing Arts' revenue contributes more than $15.8 million to the local economy in an average year, with our patrons spending an additional $10.5 million annually.
- In its 37 year history, the Governor's School for the Arts program has served all 120 Kentucky counties and has more than 8,000 alumni.
Who We Are
At Kentucky Performing Arts, we believe art belongs to everyone. We believe in creating experiences that both entertain and educate. We believe in amplifying artistic voices and inspiring creativity.
We believe in nurturing the growth of young artists through performance, opportunity, and outreach.
We believe in making the arts accessible to all. Providing positive, inclusive, and welcoming spaces that support social understanding.
We invite you to join us.
Kentucky Performing Arts plays an important role in the economic and educational well-being of the Commonwealth. Our family of venues, The Kentucky Center, Brown Theatre, and Old Forester’s Paristown Hall, serve as a hub for local, national, and international artists, for community engagement, and for arts education.
Our signature education program, the Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts, empowers the next generation of Kentucky’s creative leaders. Established in 1987, this three-week summer residency program nurtures young artists from throughout the Commonwealth. Teaching them to embrace their talents, enabling them to gain confidence and realize their full potential as artist-citizens vitally important to society.
KPA is committed to breaking down barriers and opening doors. Our programming supports artists and artforms that reflect the diverse community we serve. We provide opportunities for all to enjoy performances through community partnerships and ticket subsidies. Our award winning ArtsAccessibility program ensures that our facilities and programming are accessible to everyone by providing assistive listening devices, audio description, captioning, sign language interpreters, and large print programs.
By fostering community, creating opportunities, and opening spaces for all, Kentucky Performing Arts is connecting and inspiring through the arts.
Governor's School for the Arts
Governor's School for the Arts, a program of Kentucky Performing Arts, fosters the next generation of Kentucky's creative leadership, serving all 120 Kentucky Counties. Every summer, GSA's faculty of professional artists and educators guide more than 500 of Kentucky’s finest young artists through intense and fun arts instruction.
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Our Values
PASSIONATE – We are inspired by art and believe in sharing its power to change lives.
COLLABORATIVE – We value relationships and partnerships that help us create something greater.
INCLUSIVE – We make the arts accessible for all by reflecting and celebrating our diverse community.
INNOVATIVE and ADAPTIVE – Through the lens of new ideas, we leverage our collective experience to adapt to changing circumstances and cultivate a dynamic future for those we serve.
STEWARDS – We care for treasured cultural assets, ensuring their vitality and legacy.
Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet
As an integral member of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet, Kentucky Performing Arts, along with the other agencies, seek to preserve and promote the history, heritage, and arts of the Commonwealth.
