The arts should never be just for one part of the community to enjoy.

Those were the words last week of Denise Lubey, director of development for Arts of Southern Kentucky, in speaking about SKyPASS: Arts Access for All – a new program that will provide free tickets to certain performing arts events to local residents who receive state financial assistance.

We agree with Lubey’s sentiments, and we are excited that Arts of Southern Kentucky has launched this initiative, which will open the doors to many Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center, Orchestra Kentucky and BG OnStage events for members of the community who otherwise could not afford access.

Our first thought upon learning recently of the SKyPASS program was about how it has the potential to profoundly touch and enrich the lives of children and young adults. SKyPASS membership grants up to four complimentary tickets per household for most performances, creating a pathway into the performing arts that under normal circumstances likely would not exist for these young people – some of whom just might be drawn into the field as a career or as a lifelong passion.

Of course, the program is structured to benefit people of all ages, not just the young.

Elise Charny, Arts of Southern Kentucky education director, said Boys and Girls Clubs, the Housing Authority of Bowling Green, family resource centers, foster care groups and senior and assisted living centers are some of the groups already handing out membership cards.

“We wanted to make sure that SKyPAC is accessible to anyone who is interested in seeing the top art in the southcentral Kentucky area,” Lubey said of the program’s mission. “Anyone who wants to see art will have the opportunity to do so. We have seen great community love for the program already. People are just so excited to come and not worry about the cost associated with coming here.”

We applaud Arts of Southern Kentucky for developing the SKyPASS initiative, and we hope for robust participation from eligible residents. Bowling Green and Warren County is a vibrant regional hub for the performing arts, and our community will only be strengthened by expanding access to these events to a broader segment of the population.