Our History:

     The Fund for the Arts is the oldest united arts fund in the country and has raised over $138 million since its establishment in 1949.  The 2007 campaign raised over $8 million, a long way from its first campaign in 1949, of $99,000. Today the Fund provides financing, facilities and administrative support for twenty-five area arts groups and programs. In addition, over 200 community access grants are awarded annually to community groups and schools in Kentucky and Southern Indiana. Other Fund sponsored activities include the annual Whittenberg Young Artist Scholarship, co-sponsorship of the Gheens Young Artist Program with the Kentucky Center and support of the annual Black Achievers Arts Scholarship Program.  

     In 1998, in a separate campaign, the Fund raised over $4 million to restore the historic Brown Theatre, which was deeded to the Fund in 1997.  The Fund also acquired the adjacent building, now the Fifth Third Conference Center, which serves as an adjunct to the theatre.  The theatre re-opened in October 1998, and was renamed in honor of arts supporter and former chief executive of Brown-Forman Corporation, W.L. Lyons Brown, Sr.  The Brown Theatre is operated by the Kentucky Center for the Arts.

     When Mayor Charles Farnsley, who served as Mayor of the City of Louisville from 1948 to 1953, first conceived of the Fund for the Arts in 1949, he based its structure on that of the Community Chest, now known as Metro United Way.

      The Fund’s first office was a room with five desks in the basement of the Public Library at Fourth and York Streets, described as “very cramped” by a volunteer.  The first campaign, chaired by Fund board chair (and later Judge) Alexander G. Booth was overseen by a part-time Executive Secretary William R. Dunton III, raised $99,000.

The first member agencies included The Louisville Orchestra, the Louisville Theatrical Association, Louisville Children’s Theatre (now Stage One), and the Junior Art Gallery, the forerunner of the Louisville Visual Art Association, among others.

     The second part-time head of the Fund was Richard H. Wangerin who took over as Executive Secretary from 1954 to April 1968.  At the time, Wangerin also managed The Louisville Orchestra, the Theatrical Association and the Brown Theatre.  At the time, fundraising for the Arts was not as widespread and thus it was not until the 1960’s that the campaign raised over $200,000.

      The Fund’s growth accelerated in the 1970’s.  The first full-time Executive Secretary was hired in September 1971.  C. Dennis Riggs, a Louisville native and former college athlete, headed the Fund for the next three years.  In 1976, the current President and CEO, Allan Cowen was hired.  Cowen had formerly served as Associate Director of the Winston-Salem Arts Council. Under Cowen’s leadership, campaign totals rose from about $600,000 in 1977 to over $8 million in 2007, making Louisville one of the nation’s largest per capita arts giving base in America. Since then the donor numbers has increased from 5,600 to over 25,000.

      The Fund for the Arts celebrated its 40th anniversary in 1989 by relocating to its restored downtown Louisville building renovated for a total of $900,000.  Purchase of the Fund building was made possible by generous grants from Mary Caperton Bingham and Jane Morton Norton, with interior finishing donated by Amelia Brown Frazier. The Fund building offers space for the Fund operations along with commercial tenants providing rental income to help cover the annual operating space rent for the Fund.

The Fund’s growth in recent years has been primarily fueled through its employee campaigns conducted in workplaces throughout the Kentuckiana area.  The employee campaign has risen from five participating companies in 1980, with a few hundred donors, to over 225 companies, with more than 25,000 donors providing over $3.5 million annually, and contributing to more than 44% of the Fund’s annual campaign.

      The member agencies are: Actors Theatre of Louisville, Kentucky Museum of Art & Craft, Kentucky Opera Association, Kentucky Shakespeare Festival, Louisville Bach Society, Louisville Ballet, Louisville Orchestra, Louisville Theatrical Association, Louisville Visual Art Association, Louisville Youth Choir, Louisville Youth Orchestra, Music Theatre Louisville, Stage One, Walden Theatre, and West Louisville Performing Arts Academy.

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