Institute 193

Institute 193 is a non-profit contemporary art space dedicated to enriching the cultural landscape of the Lexington-area by exhibiting emerging and mid-career professional artists from the Southern region of the United States. It serves as a point of departure for artists, providing them with professionally installed exhibitions, color catalogues of their work, and scholarly essays pertaining to their show. Its goal is to advance the careers of regional artists in the most relevant markets across the globe. Artists are selected in function of the quality and relevance of their work and not by their commercial viability.

The Institute primarily focuses its efforts on the production of scholarly materials, show cards, exhibition catalogs, and anything tangible that may benefit the artist. It also hosts musical performances, film screenings, poetry readings, and other community-driven events. In time, the Institute will participate in various art fairs across the country in a direct effort to expose Southern artists to the world-at-large and will ideally serve as a de facto ambassador for the city of Lexington and the Southern region, providing the foundation for a contemporary art center in Lexington.