Lexington, KY – October 2, 2025
More artists will now be able to join The Artists’ Village neighborhood in Lexington’s historic East End, thanks to a grant from the U.S. Bank Foundation that will help provide down payment assistance to prospective buyers. This funding supports Art Inc. Kentucky’s mission to help local creatives achieve homeownership in this innovative live/work community.
Creativity, multiplied and shared
This unique housing concept is not only changing the lives of artists who live there but also building a strong creativity-driven community that adds to the rich cultural tapestry of the city’s reemerging East End. Each single-family floor plan in the Artists’ Village includes an attached, dedicated art studio opening directly onto a public Art Park designed to attract visitors to community events such as art festivals, poetry readings, concerts, and creative gatherings.
This cultural infrastructure and inclusive development give writers, musicians, visual artists and craftspeople the tools they need to live, work, and thrive at home in a community built specifically with their needs in mind.
The first home in the Village was completed in 2019 for Frank X Walker, a noted author, visual artist and Kentucky’s first African American Poet Laureate. The current number of completed homes in the Artists’ Village now stands at five, with two more already under construction and planning.
Surrounded by inspiration
Artists’ Village residents include Art Inc. Kentucky president Mark Lenn Johnson, an award-winning glass artist, along with visual artists Stephanie Batts and her partner Ken Burney. Burney’s colorful, vibrant art recently caught the eye of Lindy Casebier, Secretary of the Kentucky Arts, Heritage and Tourism Cabinet, who contacted the artist about creating the image used for the 2024 Kentucky Governor’s Derby Celebration Poster.
“We extend our deepest thanks to the U.S. Bank Foundation for its grant supporting homeownership for artists in Lexington’s gem—the historic East End,” said Johnson. “These funds will help leverage additional resources, compounding the impact—revitalizing our community and changing the lives of artists and their families. It takes a village to build a village, and we’re grateful to be building ours with supporters like the U.S. Bank Foundation.”
A little help can make a big difference
Because today’s rising cost of new construction can make homeownership seem unattainable, the U.S. Bank Foundation grant will support down payment assistance for prospective Artists’ Village residents, potentially lowering their mortgage payments and ultimately increasing homeownership affordability.
This award is the latest U.S. Bank Foundation collaboration with Community Ventures, with previous support helping to fund:
- The MET, a 75,000 sq. ft. mixed-use housing/retail facility in the East End
- Culinary business incubator Chef Space, part of revitalization efforts in West Louisville’s Russell neighborhood
- Housing re-development projects in areas of Western Kentucky recently affected by devasting tornados
Visit cvky.org to learn more about The Artists’ Village and its mission. To become a funding partner or support creative placemaking efforts in Lexington, contact Brian Hutchinson at bhutchinson@cvky.org.
About Art Inc. Kentucky: Art Inc. provides business building, exposure generating and revenue producing opportunities to artists and creatives while helping to stimulate cultural, social and economic activity throughout the Commonwealth.
About Community Ventures: Founded in 1982 as a community-based, non-profit organization, Community Ventures (CV) strengthens communities and improves the overall quality of life for Kentuckians by supporting job creation, small business ownership, and home ownership. For 21 consecutive years, CV has been named Microlender of the Year by the Kentucky Small Business Administration.
About U.S. Bancorp: U.S. Bancorp, with approximately 70,000 employees and $686 billion in assets as of June 30, 2025, is the parent company of U.S. Bank National Association. Headquartered in Minneapolis, the company serves millions of customers locally, nationally and globally through a diversified mix of businesses including consumer banking, business banking, commercial banking, institutional banking, payments and wealth management. U.S. Bancorp has been recognized for its approach to digital innovation, community partnerships and customer service, including being named one of the 2025 World’s Most Ethical Companies and one of Fortune’s most admired superregional banks. Learn more at usbank.com/about.
