2025 Best of Lex: Arts & Culture

Lexington is blessed to have an array of citizens, organizations and businesses who create, facilitate and support world class art, performance and cultural offerings. These are elements that enrich the lives of all who live in or visit our city.

From music, theater, literary and visual art, to comedy, festivals, galleries and dance, we are lucky to live in a place rich with art and culture. 

In this section of Smiley Pete's 2nd annual Best of Lex issue, we celebrate those in Lexington who have dedicated their lives to create a community brimming with culture that we all can enjoy. Our readers have voted on their favorite artists, galleries, festivals and other cultural contributions.

Best Performing Arts Venue

  1. The Lexington Opera House
  2. The Kentucky Theatre
  3. Singletary Center for the Arts
  4. Lyric Theatre and Cultural Arts Center

Ode to The Lexington Opera House

Smiley Pete Staff Salute

A beautifully crafted venue with a rich history, the Lexington Opera House has been meticulously restored time and again. Originally opened as The Opera House in 1850, the venue was lost to a fire in 1886. Less than a year later, it was rebuilt, with no

expense spared. As entertainment trends evolved, so did the theater — converted into a movie house in 1926, it remained without live performances for 50 years. A major renovation in 1976 restored its grandeur, rebuilding the stage and updating the space for modern productions. More than a century after first opening its doors, the Lexington Opera House reclaimed its role as a premier live performance venue.

Now owned by the city of Lexington and managed by Oak View Group since 2022, the theater continues to shine under the glow of its newly restored marquee. Once home to legends like Al Jolson, W.C. Fields, Will Rogers, and Harry Houdini, today it hosts touring Broadway productions, local dance performances, world-class musicians, and top stand-up comedians.

Balancing deep roots in Lexington’s past with a dynamic vision for the future, the Lexington Opera House remains an irreplaceable cultural institution—a true local gem for live entertainment. 

Best Art Gallery

  1. LexArts Gallery at ArtsPlace
  2. Living Arts and Science Center
  3. Lexington Art League
  4. Artists’ Attic

Best Local Tour

  1. Bites of the Bluegrass
  2. Ghost Walk of Lexington
  3. Ashland - The Henry Clay Estate

Best Dance School/Troupe

  1. Arthur Murray School of Dance
  2. BurLEX Burlesque Collective
  3. Bluegrass Youth Ballet

Honorable Mentions:

  • Allegro Dance Project
  • Mecca

Best Local Band

  1. Autonomous
  2. Jump the Curb
  3. Vinyl Richie

Honorable Mentions:

  • 10 Foot Pole
  • Bedford

Best Local Musician

  1. Ben Lacy
  2. Tee Dee Young
  3. Willie Eames

Honorable Mentions:

  • Bryan Himes
  • Colin Michael
  • Abby Hamilton

Best City Event

  1. Woodland Art Fair
  2. Thriller Parade
  3. 4th of July

Honorable Mentions:

  • Ballet Under The Stars
  • Jack O’ Lantern Trail at McConnell Springs

Best Local Arts Festival

  1. Woodland Art Fair
  2. Bluegrass Creative Market
  3. LexArts Hop
  4. Twelve Lions Film Festival

Ode to Twelve Lions Film Festival 

Smiley Pete Staff Salute

Lexington’s film scene got a surge of energy with the launch of the Twelve Lions Film Festival at the Kentucky Theatre in 2023.

Founded by the theater’s executive director, Hayward Wilkerson, and board chair, Lisa Meek, the festival brings independent films, premieres, panels, and parties to the heart of downtown Lexington. The historic Kentucky Theatre, with its ornate plasterwork and storied past, serves as a stunning backdrop for many screenings, as well as the opening and closing night receptions. Additional events and screenings take place in nearby downtown venues.

More than just a showcase for bold filmmaking, Twelve Lions celebrates Kentucky’s creative spirit by fostering an environment where filmmakers and fans can connect, learn, and discover new voices. Named after the 12 lions embedded in the theater’s plaster friezes, the festival blends cinema, community, and local pride into a vibrant four-day celebration.

Whether you’re a cinephile, an industry insider, or simply looking for a weekend of film and fun, Twelve Lions is quickly becoming one of the Bluegrass’s most unique and cherished annual events. 

Best Local Sculpture

  1. “Unlearn Fear + Hate” by Kurt Gohde and Kremena Todorova
  2. “2020 Blues” by Kiptoo Tarus
  3. “The Fountain in Gratz Park” by Jospeh Pollian
  4. “Stand 2020” - by Barbara Grygurtis

Best Local Mural

  1. “Harry Dean Stanton” by Square Pegs
  2. “Dolly Parton” by ArtFX Design Studios
  3. “Mother of Us All” by Joe King
  4. “Fox” by Alexandra Pangburn

Best Local Festival

  1. Lexington Pride Festival
  2. CRAVE food + music festival
  3. Chevy Chase Street Fair
  4. Harry Dean Stanton Fest

Best Local Visual Artist

  1. Wylie Caudill
  2. Femi Oyeniran
  3. John Lackey
  4. Kiptoo Taurus

Best Movie Theater

  1. The Kentucky Theatre
  2. LexLive
  3. Cinemark at Fayette Mall

Best Performance Space or Theater

  1. Lexington Opera House
  2. Lyric Theatre and Cultural Arts Center
  3. The Kentucky Theatre

Best Arts Organization

  1. Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning
  2. Allegro Dance Project
  3. Cypress Productions
  4. The Living Arts and Science Center

Best Local Author

  1. Silas House
  2. Crystal Wilkinson
  3. Frank X Walker

Honorable Mentions:

  • Gwenda Bond
  • Chris McGinley

Ode to 2nd Story Art Gallery

By Gwenda Bond, Voted as a Best local author

To get to 2nd Story, the forward-thinking downtown exhibition space that dynamo curator Leah Kolb opened in 2023, you walk along Short Street, counting off buildings, feeling as if you never quite remember which one it is. Oh, there’s the sidewalk sign, you think, pointing up. You take the stairs to the second floor in anticipation, and find two rooms filled with art that fires your soul and brain. Perhaps it’s Israel Campos’ large pieces blending Mexican-American culture with pre-Columbian imagery and environmental themes. Or maybe it’s the vibrant, playful, punk-influenced sculptures by Kentucky’s own Hannah Smith, speaking directly to the anxiety of the present moment. Or, or, or… 

Without fail, whoever the featured artist, you’ll feel the lightning strike of discovery that comes when you encounter someone doing vital work. And that’s not all that Kolb brings to this small but mighty space — she also presents a range of programming for the curious, opening the conversation about ways of encountering art. Talks have featured experts on dog behavior, the history of neon signs, and the native peoples of Kentucky. 

Get wandering to one of Lexington’s most fabulous new galleries and public spaces. You’ll see the sign. And I’ll see you there. 

Click here for the next category (Food & Drink)!

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