The Jennifer Lawrence Foundation, the Fund for the Arts and Churchill Downs will co-present a separate, ticketed benefit during Opening Night. This VIP event in the new Stakes Room at Churchill Downs will include a reception and the presentation of Louisville’s inaugural Awards in the Arts.

The Awards in the Arts will celebrate the extraordinary arts community in the Greater Louisville region and the arts’ tremendous contribution to our unique cultural landscape and quality of life. The Awards in the Arts were established to celebrate local artists’ talent and passion to create, produce and present transformative and inspiring works of art, in and for our community. The awards will recognize individual artists, performers and craftsmen who have achieved national recognition, lifetime achievement and emerging talent. Other awards will recognize arts innovation, arts impact and arts education. Nominations for Louisville’s Awards in the Arts can be made online at www.fundforthearts.org.

“I am so proud to support my hometown of Louisville with this partnership with the Fund for the Arts and Churchill Downs,” said Jennifer Lawrence. “Supporting the arts is incredibly important to me and I am thrilled that we will be able create new, transformative arts experiences across Kentucky.”

“The Jennifer Lawrence Foundation is excited to be partnering with two iconic Louisville organizations, Churchill Downs and Fund for the Arts, to create a unique, one of a kind experience,” said Meredith Lawrence, executive director, Jennifer Lawrence Foundation. “This partnership will allow us to further our goal of enriching the Louisville arts community.”

This special evening will be unlike any other Louisville gala. Guests will enjoy live thoroughbred racing from the best view at the racetrack, signature cocktails and dinner, while mingling with the Louisville’s arts community. Awards in the Arts will be presented in the winner’s circle and on the track’s Big Board between races. The inaugural awards program will also serve as the debut of Churchill Downs’ newly renovated Stakes Room.

For sponsor and ticket information for Louisville’s inaugural Awards in the Arts, presented by the Fund for the Arts, the Jennifer Lawrence Foundation and Churchill Downs, please call (502) 582-0100 or visit www.fundforthearts.org.