LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A new opportunity for local artists to create art in downtown Louisville is getting its final touches through a pilot called the Community Crosswalks Program.
The pilot program was launched back in February.
All five artists selected started out with a limited color palette of red, yellow, blue, black and white and had to use their creative skills to help them. All paint used is environmentally friendly.
They were also allowed to invite two volunteers to help them with painting.
Wilfred Sieg III, the founder of The Art Cartel, was one of the five artists selected with nearly 20 years as a professional artist.
“Oh, it’s always the back (that hurts),” Sieg as he worked on his crosswalk.
Sieg is living the testament that beauty is pain. With each dip of his paintbrush, this artist was one step closer to finishing his part in the Community Crosswalks program. Sieg is one of 5 Louisville artists chosen out of 91 submissions.
“I’m used to painting big walls or whatever, but never used to bending over the entire time working on something on the ground,” said Sieg, who is proud of his vibrant final product. “I’d call it ‘Flowers on Fourth.’ You’re going to be able to find it. It’s definitely lively down here.”
The pilot program is inspired by a recent Asphalt Art Safety study that noted a 50% drop in crashes involving pedestrians or cyclists and a 37% drop in crashes leading to injuries at intersections where asphalt art was installed.
The partnership is made possible with the Louisville Metro Government’s Office of Advanced Planning and Office of Arts & Creative industries to improve pedestrian safety.
The crosswalks are at four intersections including along 4th Street at Muhammad Ali Boulevard, Liberty, Chestnut, and the intersection at Preston and Witherspoon Street.
“We’re really hoping that once the crosswalks are finished and we start collecting data, the results will be clear and we’ll be able to implement a larger program across Louisville,” said Lou Lepping, a Public Art Administrator with the Louisville Metro Government. “So we’ll have beautiful crosswalks all over town and in specific neighborhoods.”
By the time the project is finished, artists will have worked over 40 hours, but it’s worth it to Sieg, who’s had help from a friend.
The two started painting their intersection at 4th Street & Muhammad Ali Blvd on April 10th, the day a mass shooting killed 5 people and injured 8 others. After all the hard work, the final touches are being painted.
“We’re cleaning everything up. We’ll touch up any drips, then add little white stars all over everything,” said Sieg.
And although Sieg’s medium is different, the goal is the same—to beautify more of Louisville in hopes of a safer Louisville.
The final installation of the Community Crosswalks program will be near Slugger Field at the intersection of Preston and Witherspoon. It’s set to be finished this week, just in time for the Kentucky Derby.