Dude,
these glass art people have been drinking the Louisville Kool-Aid and we so love them for it. We can't wait for them to come to town for the 4oth annual
Glass Art Society Conference in June of 2010 when they describe us like this:
Representing the point of embarkation for Lewis and Clark's historic journey; Boasting the first modern artificial heart, the first vaccine against cervical cancer, and the first human hand transplant; Place of origin for Louisville Slugger baseball bats, the song Happy Birthday, chewing gum, "The most exciting two minutes in sports", and, allegedly, the cheeseburger; Hometown of "The Champ", Muhammad Ali.
Louisville, Kentucky, a.k.a. Possibility City, claims many firsts- including the first public viewing of Edison's glass light bulb which now universally symbolizes thoughts and ideas. Ingenuity and Possibility are trademarks of Louisville. The city's nascent but burgeoning glass scene offers an opportunity for individual and community growth rivaled by few other locales. Ingenuity has made Louisville what it is today. Possibility will shape its future. In 2010, Louisville will proudly claim another first, the hosting of the 40th annual Glass Art Society conference.
They are woefully slow about updating their website (or stingy with content) so you're just going to have to take my word (or go to a bookstore and by a copy) when I tell you that
SPIN magazine features the Louisville music scene in their November 2008 issue.
The piece has info on venues, up and coming bands, Louisville favorites and a little bit of Louisville music history. It describes Louisville as a "beautiful enigma." I think I kind of like that.
Our friends at
Broken Sidewalk pointed us to even more love for Louisville's artsy bike racks. This time it comes from
USA Today.
Cyclists can chain their bikes to a dollar sign on New York City's Wall Street, a pair of giant toothbrushes in Portland, Ore., and sea creatures in Louisville and Mount Clemens, Mich.
Bicycle racks that combine the utility of security with the aesthetics of art are popping up across the USA.
n Louisville, there are 22 sculptures downtown for bike parking, and plans for 10 more by next spring, says Ken Herndon, director of operations for the Louisville Downtown Management District.
Artists received $2,000 per piece, a rate which may increase to $2,500 for the next sculptures, Herndon says. Regular racks can cost from $200 to $500, he adds. The Louisville Downtown Management District pays for the racks, and they become the property of the city once they are installed.
You'll recall just a couple days ago
I told you how much the Boston Globe loves our bike racks.Yes National Media, we are doing things right here, keep paying attention.
A writer for the
Boston Globe came to town recently and seriously dug our downtown bike racks.
On a recent trip to downtown Louisville, Ky., I saw a giant sculpted head adorned with a loop (where the neck would have been) that people can lock their bicycles to.
It was part sculpture, part bicycle rack. But it was mostly sculpture. And it was captivating.
Louisville may be the most aggressive city in the country when it comes to building artistic bicycle racks - an inspired merger of high culture and smart transportation.
I'll tell you truthfully I've looked at a couple of these bike racks and wondered "um, where does the bike go" for a second. Then I figured it out and thought "that is so cool." I really like that, as a community, we're combining art and function in a package that encourages alternate transportation methods. That's a lot of community good all in one package.
Lest I give the impression that it's all serious academic research, bourbon and sports around here all the time I want to point out the
Speed Museum's Collecting for Kentucky: A Year of New Art at the Speed, 2007-2008.
An astounding 150 new pieces have been added to the museum's collection over the past year and these newly acquired works are now on display.
Throughout the year, a wide range of art spanning 600 years of human creativity has enriched the Speed's collection. Collecting for Kentucky allows visitors to experience the community's newest treasures in one great exhibition. Director Charles L. Venable noted, "The Speed is respected throughout the country for its collection of over 13,000 works and this exhibition will show our visitors how such a great collection is built. From our founding in 1927 until today, generous collectors, artists, and patrons have enhanced the Speed's collection with wonderful works of art, which you can see free of charge. That says a lot about people in this part of the country and we are presenting this exhibition to thank everyone for their support."
