No. 56: Noa Gimelli - FUND FOR GREATER LEXINGTON

Noa Gimelli, expert in female economic participation and chair of the Fund for Greater Lexington, joins host Kate Savage to discuss the ambitious vision behind incubating transformational projects for Lexington—including a proposed Visual and Performing Arts Center downtown. Noa explains how the Fund’s advisory group mapped local needs into five pillars—arts and culture, youth, green spaces, housing, and transportation—leveraging community data and qualitative research to identify high-impact opportunities. Together, Kate and Noa dive into the phased research and feasibility process behind the new arts center, why Lexington urgently needs a mid-sized performance venue, and how similar cultural investments have revitalized cities like Durham. They discuss the challenges and promise of building creative infrastructure, the economic and social ripple effects of robust arts investment, and what’s next as the project prepares to move from incubation into an independent organization, calling on the community to get involved and help shape Lexington’s cultural future.For more and to connect with us, visit https://www.artsconnectlex.org/art-throb-podcast.html