Horse Mania: One of Lexington’s most popular public art efforts returns. What to know
It’s back.
Horse Mania, one of Lexington’s most popular public art exhibits, will return in 2022 in time for the November Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland.
The original Horse Mania, which allowed artists to deck out life-sized fiberglass horse statues, was in 2000. It returned in 2010 as part of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games at the Kentucky Horse Park.
“This public arts initiative has twice captured the hearts and imaginations of Lexintonians and visitors,” said Ame Sweetall, president and CEO of LexArts, at a press conference Wednesday announcing the kickoff of Horse Mania. “Judging by the impact of Horse Mania 2000 and 2010, Horse Mania 2022 is an odds-on favorite to be another stellar public art project.”
LexArts, the civic arts group that sponsored the original Horse Mania, is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2022 and decided to revisit the original project that helped jump-start public art in Lexington two decades ago. The 2022 exhibit is also sponsored by Keeneland and Maker’s Mark.
Some of the original 2000 Horse Mania statues are still on display around town.
LexArts board members John Cioci and Ken Gish are co-chairs of the 2022 Horse Mania event.
There is currently a call out to artists to submit possible designs for the horses. The deadline to apply is Dec. 10. Artists accepted to the program will receive a stipend of $3,000 and 10 percent of auction sales of the horse.
There are 40 available horses for sponsorship. The group ordered 50 but 10 have already been sponsored, Cioci said. In prior years, there were more than 70 horses. Because many companies and individuals kept those horses, LexArts decided to keep the latest number to 50. That total also celebrates the arts group’s 50th anniversary.
It costs $7,500 to sponsor a horse.
An individual or company can sponsor and purchase the horse outright for $15,000, Cioci said.
A jury will choose the artists. Sponsors will then get to pick the designs from a portfolio, he said.
“The first to pay is the first to pick,” Cioci said Wednesday.
The first horses will go on public display in April 2022 in time for Keeneland’s Spring Meet and will remain on public display through November, during the Breeders’ Cup.
The horses will be auctioned at Keeneland in December 2022.
Nathan Zimmerman of LexArts said the 2000 Horse Mania grossed upwards of $1 million. That money was used to help seed public art in Lexington — including some of its first murals.
In 2010, Horse Mania raised $600,000.
“Part of that was due to the recession,” Zimmerman said of the decline in sales. Proceeds from 2010 went to nonprofits and the Fayette Couty Public Schools, which had a companion horse-related art program.
Sweetall said in addition to Horse Mania, LexArts is also planning other events to celebrate its 50th anniversary, including the return of its popular Arty Parties. Those small gatherings center around one or two art forms at various venues around town.
To find out more on how to sponsor a horse or to enter as an artist, go to LexArts website at www. lexarts.org.
This story was originally published October 6, 2021 at 1:08 PM.
