For the next three years, Northern Kentucky University will become the new home of the Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts (GSA), officials announced at a press conference held in the lobby of the Corbett Theater on Friday morning.
Beginning in 2026, NKU will host the intensive three-week summer arts program that brings together some of Kentucky’s most talented rising high school juniors and seniors each year.
GSA, founded in 1987, immerses students in nine artistic disciplines ranging from instrumental music and drama to film, creative writing and dance.
The announcement, emceed by Matthew Albritton, director of NKU’s School of the Arts, opened with a performance from the university’s current ongoing production of “Oklahoma!”. Charlie Norman and Katie Chambers, both GSA alumni and the leads in the show, performed “People Will Say We’re in Love” to set the stage for the speakers.
Jason Brooks, director of GSA, then delivered the news.
“I am honored to officially announce that Northern Kentucky University will serve as the new host campus for the Governor’s School for the Arts beginning in 2026,” Brooks said. “This partnership represents a transformative step for GSA, ensuring that future generations of Kentucky’s young artists will have the space, resources and support to grow in extraordinary ways.”
The 2026 session will run June 7–27 on NKU’s campus, marking the first time in nearly four decades that GSA will be held at the university. Since 2019, the program has been hosted at the University of Kentucky.
Brooks emphasized that the relocation will not be the only major change occurring in the program, with the addition of a new discipline also being announced.
“For the first time in 18 years, we will expand our artistic portfolio with the addition of graphic design as a new discipline,” he said.
Kim Baker, president and CEO of Kentucky Performing Arts and a member of GSA’s very first class, said the program’s growth over the decades underscores its impact on Kentucky’s arts community.
“When I was at GSA, there were 125 students and five disciplines. Now that number has grown, and the number of disciplines has grown exponentially,” Baker said. “NKU is the ideal place for this work, and its School of the Arts and broader campus community offer world-class spaces that will allow our students to thrive.”
She said the partnership is about more than changing location, but an opportunity for regional growth.
“This partnership not only secures GSA’s future, but it really supports Northern Kentucky’s growth as a hub for creativity and workforce development through the arts,” Baker said.
NKU President Dr. Cady Short-Thompson called the partnership a milestone for both the university and the state.
“I’m so very proud to have our university host the Governor’s School for the Arts, and I look forward to the impact it will have on young Kentuckians who dream of a future impacting their communities positively through the arts,” she said. “The arts fuel student growth, innovation and a positive campus culture. They sharpen our thinking, our creativity and our communication capabilities. The arts humanize and connect us.”
The announcement was celebrated by state lawmakers who helped secure ongoing support for the program. Rep. Mike Clines, an NKU alum, described it as a full-circle moment.
“For the past two years as a state representative, I’ve been able to visit GSA in action,” he said, “and so today, I have energy, enthusiasm and excitement as GSA is now coming to my alma mater, Northern Kentucky University.”
Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer highlighted the program’s role in workforce development.
“NKU does such a great job of attracting students and then keeping them in the region,” Funke Frommeyer said. “Now being able to take that to another level with the Governor’s School for the Arts.”
Since its inception, GSA has graduated more than 9,000 students, with many receiving significant college scholarships. According to program leaders, seven in 10 alumni pursue higher education in Kentucky, and two-thirds remain in the state as adults.
“We’re deeply, deeply grateful to you at here at Northern Kentucky University for providing a new home for the Governor’s School for the Arts,” said Baker said in her closing remarks, “We’re also so grateful to our legislators, the alumni, the artists, the educators, all of the donors, all the people that make GSA possible.”
