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Bale Boone Symposium
The Bale-Boone Symposium brings together the citizens of Lexington, Gaines Fellows and other members of the university community to explore themes and genres in the arts and humanities. Although the precise format varies, guests typically present a public lecture and take part in a day-long workshop, with other events (film screenings, art exhibits, poetry readings) scheduled as appropriate.

Edward T. Breathitt Undergraduate Lectureship in the Humanities
This unusual undergraduate award, given annually, provides a student at the University of Kentucky the opportunity and honor to write and deliver a humanities-oriented public lecture on the topic of his or her choosing. The recipient is given a special award and an honorarium of $500. Applications are available at the Gaines Center during the fall semester. The deadline for submissions is in November, with the lecture to be given in January. The lectureship is named for Governor Edward T Breathitt, a native of Hopkinsville, Kentucky who served as Governor of Kentucky from 1963-1967.

Lafayette Seminar in Public Issues
The Lafayette Seminar offers an unusual opportunity for Lexington community leaders (including the Mayor and Council members) and UK faculty to discuss in the intimate setting of the Center such public issues as UK-Lexington relations and the creation of successful public downtown spaces. Past guest presenters have included:

• Harvey Gantt, former Mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina
• Fred Kent, President of the Project for Public Spaces in New York
• Richard Longstreth, George Washington University Professor of American Civilization and President of the Society of Architectural History
• Barry Alberts, Executive Director of Louisville Downtown Development
• Rich Schein, University of Kentucky Professor of Geography
• Michael J. Morand, Associate Vice-President of Yale University for New Haven and State Affairs
• David Scoby, Associate Professor at the University of Michigan and Director of the Arts of Citizenship Program
• Lee Todd, President of the University of Kentucky

Seminars are usually held on succeeding Thursdays in February and have been co-sponsored by the Urban County Government. In general, box lunches are served, followed by a seminar session, which is, in turn, followed by a lengthy discussion period. The location is the Stewards Room in the Bingham Davis House, 218 East Maxwell. Parking is available behind Memorial Coliseum, accessible from Rose Street. Due to space limitations, and in the interests of keeping the seminars an intimate affair, participation is generally only guaranteed to the first 35 registrants. The 2002 Lafayette Seminar In Public Issues was entitled “Town and Gown: The Relationship Between Lexington and the University of Kentucky.” Discussions touched on issues of downtown development, urban design and economic development, but also were expanded to imagine and delve into new ways that universities and communities can work together synergistically to involve the humanities, the fine arts, and energetic undergraduates in Lexington.

Gaines Center Lecture Series
Each year, the Center sponsors lecture and musical performances which are free and open to members of both UK and the Lexington communities. This program not only brings the Gaines Center, campus and town communities together, but also allows Gaines Fellows to meet and talk with distinguished scholars and artists from around the world by arranging for the Fellows to dine with invited speakers and performers before the lecture. Guests in the recent past have included:

• The Reel World String Band of Lexington
• The Cherubini String Quartet of Florence
• Italy Ed McClanahan, author of The Natural Man, Famous People I Have Known, A Congress of Wonders, and My VITA, If You Will
• Bernie Herman, University of Delaware Professor of Art History and Material Culture
• Donald Rothberg, Saybrook Graduate School & Research Center Executive Professor
• Senator Ernesto Scorsone, Kentucky State Legislature
• Anna Bosch, University of Kentucky Associate Professor of English & Linguistics

Phyllis Pray Bober Memorial Feast (2000-2007)

In recent years, the Gaines Center sponsored a memorable series of culinary events inspired and planned by one of the founders of food history, the late Phyllis Pray Bober. A prime force behind the feast is Lexington chef and restauranteur Ouita Michael, former Gaines Fellow and co-owner with her husband of Holly Hill Inn in Midway. The Feasts, unique in Lexington for their authenticity and imagination, serve as an offering to the gods of both learning and pleasure. The Gaines Fellows play an active role in choosing a theme for the Feast, designing the sequence of events and dishes, and providing explanations for the dishes as they are served. Recent Gaines Center Feasts have imaginatively reproduced the cuisines of Ancient Rome, of Renaissance Florence, the Italian Futurists, and a journey down the Silk Road. Invitations have become highly sought-after.