Public art project unveiled in Louisville

Free exhibition now open

LOUISIVLLE, Ky. (Aug. 28, 2015) — Mayor Greg Fischer today unveiled the inaugural project of Louisville Metro’s Public Art Initiative, “Connect|Disconnect: A Public Art Experience.”

The exhibition of five, site-specific installations was created in partnership with Louisville Forward the Commission on Public Art to promote the understanding and enjoyment of public art in Louisville. The exhibition is located on the Louisville Loop along the waterfront between 8th and 12th Streets.

“Building opportunities for the arts and creative industries, and investing in people and neighborhoods are critical to our city’s quality of life and quality of place,” Fischer said. “This project exemplifies both of these priorities, and is an important step toward building a nationally recognized public art program.”

The exhibition is located in a unique area of Louisville where transportation networks (river, highway, rail and trail) dominate the view, and where the industrial past gives way to a peaceful, repurposed future as part of Waterfront Park Phase IV.

“Connect|Disconnect uses a portion of our Louisville Loop as a temporary art walk,” said Sarah Lindgren, public art administrator with Louisville Forward. “Each installation is unique to Louisville and was created to tell our story.”

The six nationally-renowned artists participating in the exhibition were selected by the Commission on Public Art. The exhibition is free and open to the public, with periodic live and interactive events planned to complement the artworks and encourage visitors to experience the exhibit.

Exhibition artists, along with the name and description of their artwork, are:

Mary Carothers — “Beneath the Surface”

• Over 2,000 door knobs affixed to rods of various heights are arranged into a flowing topography. A collection of community doorknobs has been cast into porcelain to acknowledge the white clay of the Ohio River as well as the riverfront’s forgotten stories.

Jenny Kendler — “Field of Vision: A Garden for Others”

• A work combining science and aesthetics focuses on wildflowers and their crucial role in supporting pollinators, conservation and the ecosystem.

Mark Reigelman II — “Upriver/Downriver”

• Barrel stacks the size of mountains lined early Louisville’s riverfront as they were portaged around the Falls of the Ohio, containing everything from bourbon to gold, and are reimagined in this installation to symbolize transport, industry and growth.

Jean Shin — “Anthropocene Fossils”

• Inspired by ancient fossil beds, this installation imagines fossils of the future focused on today’s consumer waste and items swept down the river.

SIMPARCH (Steven Badgett and Matt Lynch) — River Monument (glomus)

• This cluster of driftwood and other debris built on an elevated framework illustrates the power and unpredictability of the Ohio River.