City Announces Online Form To Accept Public Comment On Public Art Review

Citizens interested in adding their voice to the review of public art that could be interpreted to honor bigotry, discrimination, racism and/or slavery now have an online forum to share their thoughts.

People can visit https://louisvilleky.gov/government/public-art/public-art-review and add their thoughts to the public conversation.

“Getting citizens input from all sides is important – we want to hear from a wide variety of people,” Mayor Greg Fischer said.

On Sunday, Fischer announced that he asked the Louisville Commission on Public Art to review its catalogue of art in the public right of way to develop a list of those tied to discrimination, racism and slavery, in preparation for a community conversation about their display.

The Mayor’s remarks come after a day of violence surrounding a white nationalists rally in Charlottesville, Va., that left three people dead and 35 injured.  The review also came after a statue of Confederate officer John Breckinridge Castleman in the Cherokee Triangle neighborhood was vandalized.

“For many, the Castleman statue is a beloved neighborhood landmark, but for others, it’s a symbol of a painful, tragic and divisive time in our history — which gets at the complexity of this conversation,” the Mayor said.

Sarah Lindgren, the city’s public art administrator, said the Commission on Public Art will announce before the week’s end a series of public meetings to gather further input.

“This is an opportunity for citizens to both speak and listen,” Lindgren said.