A comprehensive look at what's scheduled for local visual arts exhibits & events taking place in the upcoming months, as featured in our 2025 Fall Arts Issue.
Click the following links for more 2025 Fall Arts listings: Theatre & Performance • Dance • Literary & Film Events • Festivals & Events
Headley-Whitney Museum
4435 Old Frankfort Pike • www.headley-whitney.org • Gallery hours: Fri.-Sun., 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Charley Harper: Birds and Beasts. On display Sept. 12-Nov. 16. Due to the overwhelming response, this joyful exhibit highlighting the work of celebrated artist and conservationist Charley Harper will continue to be on view for two additional months, featuring additional works from Harper, a mid-century modern furniture exhibit, a “Kids Create” gallery, wildlife sculptures made of recycled materials by Fayette County middle school students, and art and nature talks and events throughout the exhibit.
An exhibition of works by Nashville photographer Mauro Barreto, whose work explores the beauty, intensity and contraditions of youth, will be on display at Institute 193 Sept. 12-Oct. 25. Photo furnished
Institute 193
institute193.org • Gallery hours: Wed.-Sat., 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
A contemporary art gallery focusing on providing artists from Kentucky and the southeastern U.S. with exhibition and publication opportunities, Institute 193 curates exhibits at two downtown locations, 215 N. Limestone and 193 N. Limestone.
- Marcus Dunn: “Outings.” On display through Sept. 6 at 215 N. Limestone.
- Susan Te Kahurangi King & Eric Oglander: “By Golly.” On display through Sept. 5 at 193 N. Limestone.
- Mauro Barreto. On display Sept. 12-Oct. 25 at 215 N. Limestone.
- Casey Joiner. On display Oct. 31-Dec. 20 at 215 N. Limestone
Lexington Art League
Loudoun House Gallery, 209 Castlewood Drive • www.lexingtonartleague.org • Gallery hours: Wed.-Sat., 12-5 p.m.
PRHBTN 13. On display Oct. 10-Nov. 21. This annual exhibition takes pride in being a great opportunity for Kentucky artists of all disciplines to present artworks regardless of age, experience, media, discipline or subject matter. Known for its no-holds-barred ethos, the exhibit has resulted in displaying some of the most provocative artwork in the city each year.
The Nude Biennial. On display Dec. 12-Jan. 30, 2026. With a return to its founding mission to ‘create opportunities for Lexington-area artists and those who appreciate their work,’ the Lexington Art League is proud to present The Nude as a biennial showcase of contemporary nude figurative art by Kentucky artists.
A solo show by artist Jeffrey Equality Brooks is on display at the Living Arts & Science Center through Sept. 26. Image furnished
Living Arts & Science Center
362 N. Martin Luther King Blvd. • www.lasclex.org • Gallery hours: Tues.-Fri., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Jeffrey Equality Brooks Solo Show. On display through Sept. 26
- Jason Kash: “Chora.” On display through Sept. 30
- Joseph Mayernik: “Issue No. 2, Circa 2025.” On display through Sept. 26
New Editions Gallery
500 W. Short St. • neweditionsgallery.com
Gallery hours: Wed.-Sat., 12-5 p.m.
Loosen the Reins 2. On display Sept. 19-Nov. 7. This exhibit will feature equine-themed works by Jaime Corum, Lesley Humphrey, Julie Quick and Margaret Thompson.
Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center
141 Main St. • www.lexingtonky.gov/about-downtown-arts-center • See website for gallery hours
City Gallery:
- 19 Years 40 Feet. On display through Oct. 4
- America! America! On display Oct. 10-Nov. 29
Community Gallery:
- Black to the Future: African People in Outer Space: Past, Present, and Future. On display Sept. 12-Nov. 1
- War Diaries. On display Nov. 7-Jan. 3, 2026
Children & Youth Gallery:
- Ink & Intuition: The Art of Healing. On display Sept. 12-Nov. 1
- FCPS Winter Showcase. On display Jan. 9-Feb. 28, 2026
Hockensmith Fine Art Editions Gallery and Press
146 E. Main St. • www.finearteditions.net • Gallery hours: Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
- Jacque Parsley & Gayla Cerlan: “Enigma.” Opens Sept. 18.
- Henry’s Holiday Emporium. Opens Nov. 20.
2nd Story
522 W. Short St. • 2ndstory.art • Gallery hours: Tues.-Fri., 1-5p.m. or any time by request
Birds of a Feather. On display Sept. 6-Dec. 5. Inspired by Lexington’s queer history, Philadelphia-based artist Feather Chiaverini has re-envisioned costumes and objects from photographs found in Lexington’s Faulkner-Morgan Archive, particularly images showing mermaid tails, showgirl headpieces and other queer ephemera from pride festivals and old parade floats. Chiaverini invites viewers to wear his garments. As an interactive environment, the exhibit prompts visitors to think about the transformative labor undertaken by our queer ancestors and enables them to experience the same joy captured in the archival photographs.
Kirk Schlea ©Kirk Schlea
Stephen Rolfe Powell
Trifecta Glass • Art • Lounge will host an exhibit honoring the legacy of late glass artist Stephen Rolfe Powell starting Oct. 16. Photo by Kirk Schlea
Trifecta Glass • Art • Lounge
243 Walton Ave. • trifectadesignstudio.com • Gallery hours: Mon.-Tues., by appt.; Wed.-Sun., 12-6 p.m.
Figure It Out. On display through Oct. 15. This compelling group showcase is centered around the human figure and features works by Travis Adams, Thomas Scoon, Deanna Clayton, Bryan Randa and Jack Gramann. It highlights masterful interpretations of the body and face in glass, with each artist bringing a unique and collectible approach to figurative work.
Stephen Rolfe Powell: A Homecoming Exhibition. On display starting Oct. 16. This major solo exhibition honors the legacy of glass artist Stephen Rolfe Powell. It celebrates his vibrant career and impact on the glass world, particularly in connection with Kentucky and Centre College.
Joan Mitchell is among the artists featured in the UK Art Museum’s “Between Structure and Chaos” exhibit. Joan Mitchell, “Untitled,” furnished by the UK Art Musuem
University of Kentucky Art Museum
405 Rose St. • finearts.uky.edu/art-museum • Gallery hours: Tues.-Fri, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat., 12-5 p.m.
This is just a selection of exhibits that the UK Art Museum will feature in the coming months; visit the museum’s website for a full listing.
Zhang Huan: Ordinary Life. On display through Dec. 20. This exhibition gathers eight ash paintings on linen that recreate twentieth-century photographs in artist Zhang Huan’s personal library on a grand scale. The ash is created by incense sticks burned as prayers, often for good health, luck and prosperity.
Self and Others: Japanese Photography after 1968. On display through Dec. 20. This exhibition focuses on three innovations developed in Japan in the 1970s — are-bure-boke (grainy-blurry-out of focus), konpora (contemporary), and I-photography (first-person).
Agnes Denes: Fragmentation. On display Sept. 9, 2025-Feb. 6, 2026. A series of etchings created by conceptual artist Agnes Denes in response to the socio-political climate of the late twentieth century, this collection is grounded in geometry and pattern, presenting a worldview rendered through the universal language of numbers.
A (Very Brief) History of Music. On display Sept. 9-Feb. 7, 2026. Featuring a mix of works that reference traditional ballads, jazz, rock and roll, and other genres, this exhibition works on the assumption that it is impossible to tell the history of a discipline in one exhibition.
Between Structure and Chaos. On display Sept. 9-Feb. 7, 2026. The artists featured in this exhibition let go of their impulse to control compositions by allowing chaotic elements of chance, circumstance and contingency to influence their processes. Drips, scratches, pours and bleeds move across the surfaces of their artworks at random, and yet clear forms emerge.
Ecstatic Personas. On display Feb. 3-June 27, 2026. This group exhibition brings together three artists who create characters with mythical transcendence. The exuberant happiness expressed by personas in their paintings and sculptures transgress boundaries as they dance on the edge of satire, defiance or madness.
ART EVENTS
LexArts HOPS
Sept. 19, Nov. 21, Jan. 16, March 20, May 15 • www.lexarts.org/discover/lexarts-hop
During the LexArts HOPs, thousands of locals and visitors alike converge on downtown Lexington to celebrate art throughout the evening, with new gallery exhibitions and special arts events at traditional and non-traditional gallery spaces. Patrons start at one of 40-plus locations and visit as many or as few participating venues as they would like. Official HOP hours are 5-8 p.m., with many venues keeping additional hours. A full guide is available each month on the LexArts HOP website.
Frankfort’s Josephine Sculpture Park will host the fifth annual Symphonic Stroll featuring the Lexington Philharmonic on Sept. 20. Photo by Michaela Bowman
Symphonic Stroll
Sept. 20 • Josephine Sculpture Park • 3355 Lawrenceburg Road, Frankfort, Ky. • lexphil.org/symphonic-stroll
This annual event features Lexington Philharmonic musicians performing chamber music among the outdoor sculptures on the beautiful grounds of Josephine Sculpture Park. Attendees of all ages can enjoy interactive activities and food trucks in addition to live music and the park’s sculptural installations. Two entry times are offered for admission (4 p.m. and 5 p.m.), with performances occurring between 4-8 p.m.
Waveland Art Fair
Sept. 6-7 • Waveland State Historic Park • 225 Waveland Museum Lane • parks.ky.gov/events/waveland-art-fair
The Waveland Art Fair gives attendees the opportunity to view and purchase works of art and artisanal Kentucky Proud food products while exploring the Waveland grounds. Local garden clubs will also host their annual fall plant sales, and food trucks will be on site with local fare and handcrafted beverages.