For us? You shouldn’t have. We think living in LEX is the greatest gift of all, but it’s actually been on the receiving end of quite a few delightful donations. From public art, parks, and more, check out these four gifts given to the city for all of Lexington to enjoy.
Foucault pendulum clock | On New Year’s Eve of 2001, a 71-ft-long Foucault pendulum clock was unveiled in the atrium of the central Lexington Public Library downtown, a $400,000 gift from philanthropist Lucille Caudill Little. Spanning across five-stories, it’s the World’s Largest Ceiling Clock. The clock also features several local artworks. Adalin Wichman designed the racing horsing frieze surrounding the clock, while Terry Pulley created the 55,000-piece floor mosaic. It also features 60 race horses based on photographs taken in 1872 by Eadweard Muybridge, which were considered to be the origin of motion pictures.
Gatton Park on The Town Branch | The $39 million park project transforming the parking lot behind Rupp Arena into a 10-acre community green space received a $14.5 million donation from The Bill Gatton Foundation in May of this year. The sizable monetary gift, which also renamed the park after the late philanthropist Bill Gatton, will be paid out over several years beginning in 2025. It will help finance the park’s capital campaigns, including supporting an operational receive + future park office space. Park construction broke ground in 2023, with plans to open in the summer of 2025. Bonus: In May 2023, Gatton’s foundation gave $100 million to the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.
“Being Alive” sculpture | The stainless steel and bronze wall sculpture displayed in the lobby of the Friends of the Lexington Senior Center was commissioned and donated by center participant Kirk Kopitzke in memory of his wife, Betsy, in 2020. The circular artwork created by sculptor Garry R. Bibbs, a professor at University of Kentucky School of Art and Visual Studies, depicts a woman running with her dog, based on a photo taken by Kopitzke of Betsy and their dog.
Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride mural | Commissioned and funded by The Burl, this 2016 mural has nods to the historic train tracks nearby + famous Kentucky journalist Hunter S. Thompson. It was painted by the Lion’s Grip art collective, which included Art Academy of Cincinnati professor Matthew Daylor and two former students, on the side of the Distillery District music venue.
These extraordinary gifts not only add character and value to our city but also show how generosity can have a lasting impact. Do you know of another major gift given to our city? Let us know.
