Public Art Promotes Cycling Downtown

Tired of hitching your Huffy to a parking meter when you bike in downtown Louisville?

Thanks to the Louisville Downtown Management District, a cyclist's life has gotten a little easier. Since early 2009, cyclists are finding more places to lock up between Broadway and the river—and the city's public spaces have gotten an artistic shot in the arm to boot.

That's because 34 sidewalk sculptures have been installed downtown that double as bike racks, 10 since Derby 135. They're part of an eight-year-old, privately funded, public arts project that has grabbed the attention of cities across the nation.

A HORSE OF A DIFFERENT COLOR

Sam Griffith was one of the local artists commissioned for the recent batch of sculptures. She co-owns Steelskin Sculpture Studio & Art Gallery with Jen Pellerin, another bike rack artist.

Griffith's painted steel "Red Horse" was installed in spring 2009 on the north side of Main Street, between Third and Fourth. Cyclists use the horse's legs to lock up their bikes.

"Picture a quick sketch of a horse," Griffith said in describing her work. "The sculpture has a linear, low physical mass quality. The horse is looking over its shoulder as if it just noticed something. The sculpture is about 10 feet tall, five feet long and three feet wide.

"Red is a good urban color because it stands out. That's especially important when a piece is lighter in mass."

"As a Kentucky artist, I initially resisted using a horse as a subject," Griffith, who grew up near Ashland and was educated at Morehead State, explained. "It was too cliché at first. But, I live on a farm and recently bought two horses. So, after seeing horses every day, it worked its way into my consciousness."

FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION

Ken Herndon runs the bike rack sculpture program—he is operations director for the downtown management district. "We're putting art on the street," Herndon said, "enriching the experience of living, working and playing downtown."

That fits in nicely with the group's mission. Established in 1991 and supported with assessments paid by district property owners, the management district says it exists "to promote the neighborhood's quality of life by creating a safer, cleaner and more enjoyable environment."

So, how did "Red Horse" end up trotting east on Main? Herndon typically looks for high-traffic spots that promise to get noticed and used. The public works department signs off to make sure the sidewalk is wide enough for the sculptures and they meet other functional specs, which include ADA compliance.

"Each sculpture costs about $2,500," Herndon said, "which covers the artist's fee, materials and installation. We've gotten braver with materials as the program has grown. In addition to metal and stone, there's now a bike rack sculpture made of wood."

This kind of artistic innovation, combined with the program's practical successes, has inspired similar programs in nearly 40 other cities, including Cincinnati, Ohio; Austin, Texas; and Owensboro, Ky.

TURNING THE CORNER

Barry Zalph is another fan of the downtown bike racks. As the director of Bicycling for Louisville, he noted that the community has "gotten more sophisticated and more energetic about improving conditions for bicycling."

He gave a lot of the credit for that to the Louisville Metro Government. "Officials are more open than ever to innovations in street and path design, driver and bicyclist training, and enforcement," he said.

One of these officials is Scott Render. Render is in charge of communications and education for Bike Louisville, Metro Mayor Jerry Abramson's bicycling initiative.

"The sculptures emphasize that Louisville is a city of art," Render said. "They also promote the idea that Louisville is becoming more bike friendly."

Render cited the annual Bike to Work Day in May as an example of this growing pro-bike spirit. In 2009, about 500 cyclists signed up, and nearly a third of which were first-timers.

"We want to encourage all cyclists," Render added. "Louisville has had a reputation as a cycling community for over a century. We're interested in making riding more practical for everyone, whether you're using your bike to get to the grocery store or to your office downtown."