Institute 193

MISSION: Institute 193 is a non-profit art space dedicated to advancing the careers of contemporary Southern artists and enriching the cultural landscape of central Kentucky. VISION: Founded in 2009, Institute 193 embraces the notion that groundbreaking contemporary art can and does emerge outside of the nation’s largest metropolitan centers. The Institute’s gallery space is located in Lexington, Kentucky, a mid-sized city with a vibrant creative community that lacks a museum for contemporary art. Institute 193 fills this void by providing artists from Kentucky and the Southeastern U.S—selected not by commercial viability, but by the quality and relevance of their work—with professionally installed exhibitions, color catalogues of their work, and scholarly essays pertaining to their shows. The Institute also works to help these artists gain broader media exposure and foster fruitful connections in larger art markets across the globe. lnstitute 193 hosts musical performances, film screenings, and other community-driven events. Institute 193 participates in art fairs across the country in a direct effort to expose innovative Southern artists to the world at large, serving as a de facto ambassador for the region and providing a foundation for a contemporary art center in Lexington.