Louisville’s Public Art: Creators, Collaborators and Consumers

Bibbs describes growing up in the California neighborhood in Louisville, teachers who mentored him in elementary and secondary school. He talks about Richard Hunt’s influence on his work, and his love of making public art. He discusses the “Firefighter's Flame” memorial, the ladder motif he uses in his work, the things he has learned about metalworking, the need for continued maintenance of public art. He also talks about the piece “Boogie Chillin’”, the developments in the Russell neighborhood, his teaching philosophy, the Commemorative Bridge piece for the Kentucky Human Rights Commission, the changes in public art he’s witnessed, the experience of what it takes to get a commission, what considerations he makes when taking on a job and he reflects on the role of public art in the community and debates about confederate monuments being removed.

Director of Communications for the Louisville Free Public Library talks reviews a list of public art works housed by the different branches of the library.

Carothers talks about her travels, her work before coming to the University of Louisville Art department and her work on Beneath the Surface public art project which was exhibited on the bank of the Ohio river.

Caudill discusses his work in public art in Louisville, Kentucky. He was born in Corbin, Kentucky in 1950 and moved to Louisville when he was five. He studied at the University of Kentucky and the Louisville School of Art. Caudill has created several public art pieces in Louisville, including "Monument to the Joy of Living" at the Crescent Hill branch library, "Effervescence" at the School of Music at the University of Louisville, and "Bindu Silhouette" at the Louisville Zoo. He also proposed a large-scale labyrinth sculpture in the shape of a fingerprint. Caudill believes that public art is important for stimulating curiosity and inspiration.

Duffy talks about his education, attending the Louisville Art Workshop, the Louisville School of Art, his friendships with Bob Thompson, G.C. Coxe, Fred Bond and Ed Hamlton. He discusses working at the Natural History Museum and for the Jefferson County Public Schools, creating a walking stick for a public art project, his commission for the Kentucky Arts Council, the mother and child theme in his work. He reflects on what public art is.

Duncan discusses his educational background, meeting Richard Hunt, creating Kae Mae--The Lesson from the Black Star for the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage in Louisiville, a bike stand he created at Fourth and Liberty, he reflects on public art versus art in a public place.

Long-time Louisville resident, C.J. Fletcher, created the Blight Out, Brighten Up project in 2012, a public art project in which community members created painted plywood boards used to secure vacant and abandoned buildings. Supported by Metro Louisville's Department of Inspection, Permits and Licenses and the Department of Public Works. Fletcher works in the Solid Waste Management Office of the Department of Public Works, Louisville Metro Government. Born in Nashville, TN, Fletcher was married to artist Eugene Fletcher. Eugene Fletcher died in 2014. More than 700 plywood boards have been painted to date. In addition to her employment with city government, Fletcher is painter who works in acrylic on canvas. Her husband, Eugene Fletcher was also an artist. C.J. Fletcher describes the project's origins, community involvement, and supporters. She discusses her art and Eugene Fletcher's art. She briefly mentions artists Ed Hamilton and William Duffy. Fletcher offers her views on public art and the creative process.

Gorman talks about his background and how he became an artists, his work at the Carnegie Center for Art and History. He discusses his relationship to sculptor Barney Bright, developing a retrospective of and cataloging Bright's work, public versus private art, Brights work on the Firefighters memorial, Bright's work at Cave Hill Cemetery.

Graf talks about his background, his collections of artifacts, his relationship with sculptor Barney Bright and working at the Bright foundry, sculpting the Louisville Cardinal Bird and the statue of J. Graham Brown in front of the Brown Hotel and other works, his research process before making a piece, how he chooses what "moment" to capture of a subject, creating a statues of Alice Lloyd and Catherine Spalding, the joy of doing historical research for his projects.

Grissom discusses her role in the development of the Waterfront Park in Louisville, Kentucky. She talks about the various art installations in the park, including the Lincoln Memorial, the Flock of Fins, and the Grace Hopper. She also discusses the importance of public art in the city and the challenges of maintaining and preserving these installations. She mentions the need for more public art in Louisville and the importance of selecting high-quality pieces that can withstand the elements and potential vandalism.

Herndon talks about his background and his work in public art in Louisville developing the bike rack project in Downtown Louisville.

Lockhart discusses his background and experiences in creating public art. He talks about his childhood, education, and the influence of animals on his work. Lockhart also discusses specific public art projects he has worked on, including pieces at the Louisville Zoo and the Walking Stick Tree Guard. He reflects on the challenges and rewards of creating public art and the impact it can have on the community. He emphasizes the importance of meaningful and thoughtful public art that engages and inspires viewers.

Northern talks about her work with the city of Louisville on parks and neighborhoods and incorporating public art into these initiatives.

Ogden discussed several public art projects that she developed with students from her community art class at Spalding University. The Memorial Park project was a multi-year project taking place over several semesters. Ogden details the individual art installations within the park including Strata, The Seasons, Creating Communities: Nature and the Inner City, the amphitheatre, and relief medallions. Includes brief history of architechtural pieces (bell, fountain and columns) which preceded the public art project and remained in the park. She discusses the value of community input prior to embarking on public art projects, and engaging community members in creating art. Ogden also discusses the mozaic mural project at the Metro Louisville Department of Corrections. She details the project's origin and how the design was developed with input from inmates, families, and correctional officers. Spalding University art students also collaborated on this project. Ogden notes several instances of community groups invited into the art making process. Throughout the interview, Ogden discusses the importance of public art to reflect the community's needs, narratives, and creativity.

Owen talks about public art and it's relationship to politics, the role of public agencies in providing public art and how the city can make better efforts at representing Black Louisvillians.

Radtke discusses her background, her work on the Mayor's Advisory Committee on Public Art and Amenities initiated by Jerry Abramson, working with Marvin Finn, the impact of Mayor David Armstrong on Louisville's public art, working with Mary Lou Northern on the developing the Commission on Public Art and developing the Public Art master plan, implementing a fee in lieu to fund public art and the conservation and maintenance of the art once it was placed.