LOUISVILLE (May 30, 2023) –
School is out for the summer and the 2023 Cultural Pass and library summer reading programs are here to prevent summer learning loss, provide fun and free arts and culture experiences, and inspire students age 0-21 to take full advantage of their passport to creativity. Cultural Pass is available in Jefferson, Bullitt, and Oldham counties in Kentucky and Clark, Floyd, and Harrison counties in Indiana.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, along with partner organizations Fund for the Arts, Arts & Culture Alliance (ACA), and the Louisville Free Public Library (LFPL), this morning announced details of this year’s Summer Reading Program and the 2023 Cultural Pass at the Muhammad Ali Center.
Mayor Greenberg celebrated a decade of access to arts and cultural experience and encouraged young Louisvillevillians to take advantage of all the great programs offered by summer.
“This is an exciting time as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of Cultural Pass, a fun and free program that offers equitable access to many museums, arts programs and other cultural and educational institutions to keep youth engaged throughout the region, even beyond Louisville,” said Mayor Craig Greenberg. “In addition to extended hours at our Parks and Recreation community centers and summer camps, the Cultural Pass maximizes out-of-school-time engagement for our youth through various learning opportunities for the whole family.”
Cultural Pass
The 2023 Cultural Pass is presented by the Fund for the Arts, Louisville Metro Government, Arts & Culture Alliance (ACA), and the Louisville Free Public Library, and it is supported by Louisville Metro Government, the Caesar’s Foundation, The Gheens Foundation, PNC Bank, Kosair for Kids, the Sam and Bonnie Rechter Family Foundation, Augusta Brown Holland and Gill Holland Jr., Owsley Brown III and Victoire Reynal Brown, and Brooke Brown Barzun and Matthew Barzun.
The admission-free program supports and encourages summer learning by providing access to over 40 of Greater Louisville’s arts and cultural institutions, including Kentucky Science Center, Louisville Zoo, The Little Loomhouse, Louisville Leopard Percussionists, Carnegie Center for Art and History, the Speed Art Museum, and so many more! The program offers opportunities across Louisville and Southern Indiana from June 1 – August 6, when the school year resumes.
“The Arts and Culture Alliance is excited to partner with Fund for the Arts and Louisville Metro for a tenth year to provide this incredible access to so many arts, culture, and heritage venues this summer,” said Matt Wallace, Producing Artistic Director of Kentucky Shakespeare and Immediate Past Board Chair of the Arts and Culture Alliance. “We are eager to welcome Cultural Pass participants from across the region to experience the diverse array of partner organizations and hope people will take advantage of this special opportunity to visit some of these amazing places for the first time. Together, we’re helping keep our youth and families engaged, educated, and inspired all summer long!”
To celebrate the start of summer, Cultural Pass and Louisville Free Public Library Summer Reading will kickoff on June 3 (10 am – 1 pm) at the Main Branch on 301 York Street Downtown. Several 2023 Cultural Pass venues and partners will lead activities throughout the day. Families with children ages 0-21 are invited to stop by and sign up for both programs, try local food trucks, free play, and enjoy performances from the Louisville Leopard Percussionists, Guru Vandana Academy, and Redline Performing Arts.
“Cultural Pass is a great opportunity for youth in our community to not only experience the arts but to express themselves as artists,” said Andre Kimo Stone Guess, President & CEO of Fund for the Arts. “We want every person in our community to know that they are an artist and celebrate their art. This starts with our children. Cultural Pass provides fun and free opportunities for young people to explore and discover their identity as an artist.”
Community members can register for Cultural Pass at their local library. Participating libraries include all Louisville Free Public Library locations, The Floyd County Library, Bullitt County Public Library, Jeffersonville Township Public Library, and Charlestown Clark County Library. To register for Cultural Pass, you must be a resident of one of the participating counties. If you have a question about how to register or how to use your pass, visit culturalpass.org to learn more.
Summer Reading
Presented by the Library Foundation, the Library’s annual Summer Reading Program is a free 10-week program that encourages kids and teens to read for fun over the summer by offering prizes and incentives. Every child—from infant through 12th grade—who completes the program will receive an LFPL backpack or small shoulder bag. In addition, completers will receive passes to local attractions and sporting events like the Kentucky Science Center, Squire Boone Caverns, Louisville Bats, Racing Louisville FC, and select UofL sports, as well as sweet treats from Fazoli’s, Ehrler’s, Raising Cane’s, and Georgia’s Sweet Potato Pie Co. 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 great out-of-school program that helps kids and teens stay on reading level and return to school better prepared to learn,” said Library Director Lee Burchfield. “This annual tradition reaches nearly 50,000 children in the Metro area, helping to create a habit and love of reading.”
For more information, or to register for Summer Reading, visit LFPL.org/SummerReading or call (502) 574-1611.
About Fund for the Arts
Fund for the Arts is a regional nonprofit with the mission to contribute to the overall health and well-being of our community by generating resources for, investing in, and supporting our local arts, artists, and arts organizations. The Fund envisions a healthy and vibrant community where everyone embraces the art that exists in our lives every day, everyone contributes to the well-being of our arts community, and it is understood that everyone belongs to the arts community. The organization facilitates the largest arts grant program in Kentucky and it conducts one of the two oldest united arts campaigns in the country. For more information, visit www.fundforthearts.org
IMAGES: Taken as part of the Cultural Pass press conference on May 30, 2023 at the Muhammad Ali Center. Featuring Mayor Craig Greenberg and Guru Vandana Arts Academy.
Additional images representing Cultural Pass are available upon request.
