Living Arts and Science Center executive director describes programs, historic home on Lexington Now

Jeanette Tessmer, executive director of the Living Arts and Science Center, described the center’s programs, exhibits and historic building on the March 16, 2026 episode of the public affairs program "Lexington Now." Host Neil Noah opened the segment by naming the center as a feature topic for the week.

"We are in a historic home that was built in 1847," Tessmer said, locating the center on Lexington’s North Side between Third and Fourth streets along MLK. She corrected a date for the facility’s expansion, saying it occurred in 2016 and added that the organization is "about to celebrate our 10 year anniversary."

Tessmer said the building’s architecture and layered history inform the center’s programming. She described earlier additions credited to the Kead family and a neighborhood historically known as Kinkade Town, and noted archival legal records that reference local figures connected to the property. "This building has seen lots of generate different iterations of itself," she said, and that history shapes the institution’s work.

On programming, Tessmer emphasized the center’s effort to link art and science across ages. "We do really look at ourselves as a support for workforce development," she said, noting after-school offerings, no-school-day classes, spring break programs, Saturday classes and adult education. She said the center provides a more economical option for families looking for child activities than some private daycare alternatives.

Tessmer highlighted current and upcoming exhibits and hands-on attractions. The center is hosting a discovery exhibit called "Sewn, Grown, and Served," which explores farm-to-table themes and will rotate in the summer. In the Kentucky room the Roots, Wings & Wild Things display showcases native flora and fauna; Tessmer noted there are "2 corn snakes, 3 turtles, lots of native fish" as part of the exhibit. She also described a Spacelab area that includes a large rocket and a short video produced by University of Kentucky students showing a rocket mission tied to Artemis.

Tessmer encouraged community participation in seasonal programming and singled out a few adult offerings, saying "there's a few ceramics classes you can still sign up for in the spring." She framed the center as a place for lifelong learning where art and science converge in hands-on settings.

The segment closed with Tessmer informing listeners about upcoming camps and family classes; she did not provide specific dates or tuition details during the interview. Back on air, host Neil Noah moved to other episode topics announced at the top of the show.