See the results and be inspired by work of Lexington’s Civic Artists in Residence
In 2017, I was invited to an open house at the Loudoun House where Richard Young unveiled his vision and platform for what would become CivicLex. At the time, I referred to it as a community organizer’s dream because the power of information is a true catalyst for change and most of the presentation focused on taking complex information and data from the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government and making it more available, accessible, and presented in a way that is easy to understand. They have been able to provide resources to break down topics like the Urban Service Boundary, the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, the City Budget, and provide access to information about voting (including a voter guide and hosting forums and town halls) through Lex Vote. I’ve watched CivicLex grow from a conversation with Richard into, what I feel it to be, one of the most important non-profits doing work in our city.
CivicLex has expanded to take on bigger projects that will continue to provide valuable data and resources for our community; as the host of On The Table, they do an incredible job of ensuring the data is made available in a way that is transparent and accessible. I’ve had the honor to be one of several community advisors on their latest project, Civic Artist In Residency (CAIR), a year-long partnership with the city of Lexington where local artists are paired with different departments in LFUCG to reimagine how they work and engage with the public. When Richard first explained the program, I was excited not just for opportunity, but for others in our community to see themselves reflected in a way that often doesn’t happen. The three artists, quilter Hannah Allen, filmmaker Tony Gilmore, and stand-up comedienne Debra Faulk, all come from different backgrounds and have unique approaches to their projects. I cannot wait for the finished projects to be shared, the way they have engaged in this process, each of these artists have brought their full selves into this work. Representation matters and I truly believe this will inspire a generation of artists in Lexington to see how much of an impact they have on our community and that change can be made and inspired through their art.
As an advisory board member for CAIR, I can tell you that the experience hasn’t all been positive, it’s a reminder that whenever the status quo is being challenged, there will be resistance and this project has seen its fair share of that. I believe that it is easy for some to forget or willfully ignore that white supremacy is embedded in many of our systems and culture and that it is much more than sheets and torches, sometimes it is sustained by those in power who don’t see the harmful nature of their actions. Fortunately, Lexington is full of some loving and compassionate people who will continue to show up for others and as we collectively work to combat white supremacy and further dismantle these systems, we have a chance to provide more opportunities like CAIR for others in the future.
On July 15th from 5-7 p.m. at the Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center, there will be an opportunity to see exactly what I’m talking about. Tony, Hannah, and Debra all have incredible pieces to share with our community, they are all vastly different, but each fit together in a way that uplifts and represents the best of Lexington. There are so many incredibly talented artists and creatives in Lexington and many of them you may not have heard of. That doesn’t mean their art holds any more or less value, it just means that they deserve more opportunities to showcase their talents and what they can bring to the table. The CAIR project has done that for these three artists and if given an opportunity to be repeated, can do the same for many others.
DeBraun Thomas is a musician, radio producer, and co-founder of Take Back Cheapside.