Revisit this site as we get closer to the 2010 World Equestrian Games for more information on how you can own one!
The Lexington Philharmonic will auction the HORSETAILS® 2010 works of art during the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian GamesTM. For more information on how you can own one of these pieces, please contact us.
HORSETAILS® developed as an effort to celebrate the remarkable relationship between orchestral music and the horse, and to increase funding for music education programs for children. Raising money and awareness are always near the forefront of any arts organization's objectives. There is a widespread need for music education in schools, especially with increasing budget cuts in school art departments.
The Idea:
The concept was right before our eyes! Horses are an integral part of life in Lexington and music is what drives the Lexington Philharmonic. String instruments rely on horse tail hair to produce sound as the bow moves across the strings. Inspired by this unique connection, HORSETAILS® was initiated by Maria and Peter Kucirko in 2000 and has had four editions since its inception. HORSETAILS® is truly a unique project—the first of its kind in the world.
The Process:
To create the first HORSETAILS® project in 2000, famous Thoroughbred farms in Kentucky donated tail hair from many of their most prized horses. Local artists were matched with each horse and, using a small violin form and bow, created one-of-a-kind works of art. Each piece was exhibited and auctioned off by Walt Robertson and Terence Collier of Fasig-Tipton, North America's oldest equine auction company. Since its first year, the Lexington Philharmonic Society has raised more than $118,000 of new funds through HORSETAILS®.
The Connection:
Since Lexington, Kentucky is the Horse Capital of the World, the project presented an extraordinary opportunity to celebrate music, visual art and the athletic excellence of famous race horses in a fun-filled evening of entertainment and audience building. Though the organization was founded almost 50 years ago, HORSETAILS® provided the first opportunity for the Lexington Philharmonic and the equine industry to work together on a project of this scale. In the years since the first edition of HORSETAILS®, we have continued to build networking connections and friendships in an area that is one of Kentucky's leading economic industries.
The Need:
In 2005, the Lexington Philharmonic Foundation embarked on its first-ever endowment campaign to support the Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra. Through a matching grant by the W. Paul and Lucille Caudill Little Foundation, the Lexington Philharmonic Foundation was able to direct $1 million worth of gifts in its endowment to music education. This project, named Partners in Education, enables the orchestra to continue building and strengthening education programs for schools throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
HORSETAILS® 2010 supports the Partners in Education initiative, with all proceeds from this fundraiser impacting the education efforts of the orchestra for years to come.