Calling all Cultural Connoisseurs

Ah, art. Or as the French say, l’art, which is just an added “l” at the beginning. Now you know a new French word!

Growing up in a family of artists and painters, I’ve tried my hand at creating visual art and have a deep admiration for it. Each semester in high school, I took an art class, not because I would be amongst upperclassmen, but because I had a passion. A passion so insatiable that I created a magnificent paint splatter art piece of a tree transitioning from summer to autumnal colors, the definition of l’art. It was so amazing, when walking into art class the next day, I realized someone stole it.

IMAGINE YOURSELF…

Walking out of your required Art Appreciation class truly appreciating art and no one steals your paint splatter piece. Actually, you enjoy learning more about the art scene in Kentucky and want to spend your weekend diving deep into contemporary art galleries and music that’ll satisfy your need for artistic, cultural understanding.

Lucky for you, Asbury’s campus is among perfect opportunities to immerse yourself in art.

Six times a year, art enthusiasts travel around Lexington for the LexArts Gallery Hop, a night dedicated for local art galleries to open doors to the public and invite you into creative spaces with new exhibitions and collections that rotate each Gallery Hop cycle. Pro tip for college students: it’s free.

Destinations include, but are not limited to, the New Editions Gallery, GLOBAL LEX International Art Gallery, LexArts Gallery, Artists’ Attic Inc., and the Morlan Gallery. This means if you have a free evening and are cheap like myself, you can wander around with your friends and discover fresh and contemporary art shows that would regularly cost a pretty college penny. Plus, there is often music and food involved. Mark your calendars, friends!

I’ve also had reliable and rewarding experiences with music while a student at Asbury. Campus is alive with music, and I also love going to concerts or visiting establishments with live music just to support the beauty of songwriting and creation of music.

If your beat is more mainstream, Asbury is a manageable distance from Cincinnati, Louisville, Indianapolis, and Nashville where most musical bands or artists travel on tour. One weekend, I traveled to Indianapolis, about three hours away, just to hang out in the city and see a Justin Bieber concert.

Many popular recording artists, including frequent visits from popular Christian performers, visit Rupp Arena in Lexington on a regular basis. 

Life at Asbury, many times, consists of friends traveling to impromptu concerts. Any morning that you wake up, you could be going to a concert due to extra tickets or a friend randomly finding someone in the area, so always work ahead on your schoolwork. It’s a trend here. Art and music are balm to a weary soul, so whether you’re worshipping to the student-led music in Chapel, dancing with your friends to a new beat, or painting at a local establishment, you are set here.