For immediate release:
Fund for the Arts
Mollie LaFavers
859-324-0181
Mayor Ushers in a Resurgence of Arts and Culture with the 2021 Cultural Pass
LOUISVILLE (May 17) – After a long year of navigating arts and culture experiences online, Mayor Greg Fischer is reminding parents and caregivers of the fun and free in-person learning opportunities for Louisville students throughout the summer.
Mayor Fischer, along with partner organizations Fund for the Arts, Arts & Culture Alliance (ACA) and the Louisville Free Public Library (LFPL), today announced details of this year’s Summer Reading Program and Cultural Pass at the Main Library. Even though Covid-19 kept arts and culture organizations’ doors closed to many in-person gatherings, this year’s Cultural Pass will see organizations re-opening their doors to families for both in-person and virtual events. LFPL branches reopened to in-person services in March after a yearlong closure.
“Summer learning opportunities are essential for the success of our students. The Cultural Pass and LFPL’s Summer Reading programs have played a key role in preventing summer learning loss and providing our city’s children with fun and engaging activities throughout the entire summer,” Mayor Fischer said.
Celebrating both the Summer Reading Program and the 2021 Cultural Pass, The annual Summer Reading Kickoff and Cultural Pass Showcase returns as an in-person event on Saturday, June 5, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Northeast Regional Library in Lyndon. The event will be held entirely outdoors on the Library’s 13.5-acre campus and will feature free activities and performances for children and families. COVID safety measures will be followed to ensure a healthy and fun event for all. Look for more details coming soon at www.LFPL.org/Kids.
Cultural Pass
The 2021 Cultural Pass is presented by the Fund for the Arts, in partnership with Metro Government, Arts & Culture Alliance (ACA), and the Louisville Free Public Library. The admission-free program supports and encourages summer learning by providing in-person and online access to 51 of Greater Louisville’s arts and cultural institutions, including the Kentucky Science Center, Commonwealth Theatre Center, Roots 101 African American Museum, Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest, and more for children and young adults up to age 21. The Cultural Pass is valid from June 1 to August 8 for one-time general admission and exclusive access to activities and content accessible from the convenience of home.
“The Arts & Culture Alliance is thrilled to be facilitating the Cultural Pass program again this year,” said Barbara Lynne Jamison, General Director/CEO of Kentucky Opera and Chair of the ACA Executive Committee. “After spending many long months at home, we are excited to offer children and their families these admission-free opportunities to be creative, active, and engaged in the community again this summer.
Jefferson County residents can register and track the progress of their Cultural Pass online at www.lfpl.org/culturalpass and are encouraged to visit as many venues as they are able. For online experiences, participants will find badge icons for each venue alone with special links to virtual Cultural Pass activities.
“The Cultural Pass provides incredible, world-class arts opportunities for our community’s children that promote both summer learning and summer fun,” said Christen Boone, President & CEO of Fund for the Arts. “This year, families will have a wider variety of ways to participate than ever before with virtual and in-person experiences available.”
Residents of southern Indiana and Bullitt County in Kentucky are also eligible to participate in the 2021 Cultural Pass. Those residents should register online through their public library.
Summer Reading
Presented by the Library Foundation, the Library’s annual Summer Reading is a free 10-week program that encourages kids and teens to read for fun over the summer by offering prizes and incentives. This year, every youth—from infant through 12th grade—who completes the program will receive a Camp LFPL fanny pack, along with passes to local attractions like Frazier History Museum, Kentucky Science Center, Racing Louisville FC, and more. To complete the program, school-aged children simply read ten books, teens read six books, and preschool-aged children and younger need to read, or have read to them, 20 books.
“Summer Reading is a crucial out-of-school program that helps prevent summer learning loss and ensures that kids are well-prepared when they return to school in the fall,” said Lee Burchfield, Director of Louisville Free Public Library. “This summer, after a challenging year of virtual and hybrid learning, the Summer Reading program is more important than ever.”
Every year, LFPL’s Summer Reading Program engages, educates, and entertains nearly 50,000 children and teens while school is out. For more information, or to pre-register for Summer Reading, visit www.LFPL.org/SummerReading.
About Fund for the Arts
Fund for the Arts is a regional nonprofit with the mission to maximize the impact of the arts on economic development, education, and quality of life in our community. The Fund is a convener, promoter, leader, and driver of Imagine Greater Louisville 2025, the region’s arts and cultural plan. It facilitates the largest arts grant program in Kentucky as well as conducts one of the oldest united arts campaigns in the country. For more information, visit www.fundforthearts.org.
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