Danville art-lovers will have to wait to enjoy a virtual tour of the Josephine Sculpture Park in Frankfort. Previously scheduled for May 20, the event has been pushed back due to weather and will now be conducted on May 27. The event will be provided thanks to the first-ever online Lunch with the Arts Program hosted by Art Center of the Bluegrass.

For the past 10 years, the Art Center of the Bluegrass has hosted Lunch with the Arts on the third Wednesday of each month, inviting artists across a wide spectrum of artistic genres to share their work and their passion. With the building closed, the Art Center has partnered with Josephine Sculpture Park to present an engaging online event, facilitated via Facebook Live.

In 2009, Melanie Van Houten, founder and director of the Sculpture Park, began transforming 30 acres of her family’s farm into an art destination that today features more than four dozen sculptures, murals, and installation art pieces. 

She says, “My grandmother, Josephine always encouraged my creativity and I spent so much time outdoors playing all over this farm as a child. It was 100 acres back then, and offered so much to explore. Those experiences connected me to the land in a very intimate way, and I grew to care about the environment because of that relationship. I want all kids to have those kinds of positive experiences in nature, and that is how JSP came to be.”

Visitors can view the art pieces via walking paths set amid natural landscaping. An amphitheater and artist-in-residence barn are also found on the property. A variety of community events such as field trips, outdoor theater productions, night sky watching, and concerts are scheduled throughout the year.

The park has become a vital part of the community. Its mission, as stated on the Josephine Sculpture Park website, is “to connect people to each other and the land through the arts. We provide creative arts and nature education to our community and transformative opportunities to artists while conserving the beauty of Kentucky’s native, rural landscape.” 

For her Lunch with the Arts presentation, Melanie VanHouten will give a live introduction to the park — its history, mission, and programming (plus a tour of the grounds!) — via Facebook Live, starting at noon. 

To participate, simply RSVP to the Facebook event, found on the Art Center’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/artcenterky), by clicking “going,” then tune into the live video stream. Audience members will have a chance to type questions and get real-time answers from Melanie during her presentation. 

 

Thanks to the generous support of Stuart Powell Ford Lincoln Mazda and Direct Experience in Artistic Living, Inc, there is no registration fee for the program. 

 

About the Presenter:

Melanie VanHouten returned to her hometown of Frankfort in 2008 as Founding Director of Josephine Sculpture Park. She received an MFA in Studio Art from the University of Minnesota in 2002 and a BFA in Studio Art from the University of Kentucky in 1998. She has taught all levels of Sculpture and was a tenure-track professor at St. Catherine University in St Paul, MN for four years. In 2007 she was awarded the Jerome Fellowship at Franconia Sculpture Park and her work has been exhibited internationally.

Melanie is a juried consultant on the Kentucky Arts Council Peer Advisory Network and is a founding member of the Franklin County Arts Council. She has been recognized as a leader in Community Service through her outreach work at JSP by Kentucky State University and the Franklin County NAACP. She recently served as juror for the Outstanding Student Achievement Awards for the International Sculpture Center.