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Louisville printmaker Elizabeth Foley’s work titled “Mandala.” Foley is one of eight Kentucky artists recently adjudicated into the Kentucky Arts Council’s Kentucky Crafted program.
Earlier this year, printmaker Elizabeth Foley retired from a 20-year art teaching career to focus more on her craft. Her new full-time career got a recent boost when she was named among the eight artists added to the Kentucky Arts Council’s Kentucky Crafted program.
Kentucky Crafted is an adjudicated arts marketing assistance program that provides opportunities to Kentucky visual and craft artists through arts business training, networking, sales, exhibit, and promotional opportunities. Adjudicated visual and craft artists are the only eligible Kentucky artists to exhibit at The Kentucky Crafted Market.
Foley, who owns FoleyPrints Studio, worked as a printmaker for about 20 years while she taught and said making the transition from teacher to full-time artist was an adjustment.
“Being associated with Kentucky Crafted will allow me to figure out how to create a business and reach a bigger audience,” said Foley. “I’m looking for this experience to raise my standards and give me a sense of community with other artists.”
Foley said she will also take advantage of the professional development and networking opportunities that come with the Kentucky Crafted brand.
“I’m hoping my work will get seen by communities that might not otherwise see it, and being with this program will push me to the next level to get out there,” Foley said.
The new Kentucky Crafted program artists are:
- John Dixon (Dixon Design), Danville, mixed media
- Elizabeth Foley (FoleyPrints Studio), Louisville, printmaking
- Patricia Grenier (HeartFelt Fleece & Fiber), Cynthiana, fiber
- Brad Holman (Rocky Woodland Forge), Beattyville, metal
- Chao Ma (Three Land Studio), Lexington, painting and graphics
- Gena Mark, Lexington, fiber
- Justine Riley, Mayfield, fiber
- Ted Tarquinio (TLT Photography), Louisville, photography
Applicants to the program must be visual or craft artists who have a well-developed body of work in any medium, full-time residents of Kentucky, and over the age of 18. For more information on the Kentucky Crafted program, contact Dave Blevins at david.blevins@ky.gov or 502-892-3120.
The Croghan and Clark families and their friends welcome guests from near and far to Locust Grove for a special one-day only celebration of Christmastide, 1816.
On Saturday, December 2, from 12pm to 7pm, Locust Grove will come alive with the sights, sounds, and smells of the season as Locust Grove’s corps of First Person Interpreters bring to life the residents of the historic house, as well as their friends and neighbors.
Visitors will have the opportunity to converse with the Croghans about the news of the day—the recent election of James Monroe as the fifth president, the admission of Indiana to the union as the nineteenth state—and learn about life in the 19th century. Guests can join in the dancing and period games, and will have the opportunity to stop in the hearth kitchen to watch meal preparations for the festive occasion.
“Christmastide is a great opportunity to experience Locust Grove as it was alive with friends and family celebrating the season and being together,” says Program Director Brian Cushing. “The craftspeople we have pulled in to show you how the world around them worked in those days really rounds out the experience!”
The Holiday Crafts Market in the Visitors’ Center will feature vendors selling period wares, including soap, leather goods, textiles, stoneware, wax portraits and more 19th century gifts for a 21st century life. A penman will also be on hand to demonstrate18th and 19th century letter-writing techniques as guests enjoy live music, shop in the museum store, and find gift-quality books for a special holiday edition of Locust Grove’s Used Book Sale. Children will have the opportunity to make period holiday cards and orange and clove pomanders.
Christmastide, 1816 will take place on Saturday, December 2 from 12 pm – 7pm. Admission is $6 for adults, $3 for children, and free for children 6 and under.
Locust Grove is located at 561 Blankenbaker Lane (between Brownsboro Road and River Road), Louisville, KY 40207. For more information about these events, please contact Hannah Zimmerman, Marketing Coordinator at marketing@locustgrove.org or call 502.897.9845 x108.
In one of bourbon country’s largest single projects, Gov. Matt Bevin and leaders of Stoli Group broke ground recently for Kentucky Owl Park, a nearly $150 million lakeside complex to include a distillery, visitors center, cooperage, rickhouses, bottling center, restaurant and other facilities at Bardstown’s 420-acre Haydon Materials Quarry.
“Global demand for bourbon continues to bring significant economic impact to Kentucky through jobs, investment and tourism,” said Gov. Bevin. “This new project by Stoli Group in the heart of bourbon country will serve to accelerate this trend. Stoli Group will offer numerous employment opportunities and support many families in and around Nelson County. I congratulate the company and look forward seeing this concept come to life over the coming years.”
Site prep and construction for the project’s first phase — which includes the distillery — could begin early next year with an opening targeted for 2020. It would create approximately 57 of the park’s anticipated 77 total full-time jobs. The park will be home to Stoli Group’s newly created American Whiskey Division, including its storied 140-year-old Kentucky Owl brand.
“Stoli Group will put great resources into these endeavors — both the distillery experience and the growth of this very important category for our company. As master blender, Dixon Dedman will continue to manage the production of Kentucky Owl — the crown jewel of the new division, which will remain a small batch offering,” said Dmitry Efimov, head of Stoli Group’s American Whiskey Division. “This site will be home to additional brands that we will create or acquire. With the continued strength and growth of American whiskies and bourbons, we are beginning to evaluate those opportunities.”
Stoli Group purchased the Haydon Materials Quarry, formerly Cedar Creek quarry, along John Rowan Boulevard in Bardstown, to provide a unique topographical setting. In the long-term, company leaders plan to establish the park as a premier destination on the Bourbon Trail. Their plans include a freshwater lake for fishing and recreation, a gourmet restaurant, a convention center and hotel, a vintage passenger train and a refurbished train station.
Established in 2013, Stoli Group is responsible for the management, distribution and marketing operations of SPI Group’s global spirits portfolio. One of the world’s leading wine and spirits organizations, SPI Group is an independent company headquartered in Luxembourg committed to a mission of building a respected portfolio of select premium brands. Additionally, SPI Group develops large-scale real estate projects, including the Finos Tequila distillery in Jalisco, Mexico and the award-winning Bayou Rum distillery and visitors center in Lacassine, Louisiana, and farms 14,000 acres of agricultural land, including for its Stoli and elit Vodkas in Tambov, Russia.
Sen. Jimmy Higdon, of Lebanon, said Stoli Group promises to grow the state’s strong reputation in the bourbon industry.
“I am so pleased to hear Stoli Group has chosen this Bardstown location to be Kentucky’s newest bourbon-based economic development project,” Sen. Higdon said. “Kentucky’s signature bourbon industry has showed no sign of slowing, and with this huge investment in the region and the creation of new Kentucky jobs, I have no doubt that Stoli Group will join the ranks of great distillers.”
Rep. Chad McCoy, of Bardstown, said the project will have a substantial impact on the already thriving local bourbon industry.
“Stoli Group understands the rich tradition of bourbon in the commonwealth, and we are thrilled the company is expanding a recently acquired family business to Bardstown,” said Rep. Chad McCoy, who serves as vice-chair of the Licensing, Occupations and Administrative Regulations Committee. “The distillery is a boon for our community and will cement Bardstown’s transformation into the premiere bourbon destination for Kentuckians and people from all over the world.”
Bardstown Mayor Dick Heaton said the company has found the perfect home in Nelson County.
“We are extremely happy to have Stoli Group’s American Whiskey Distillery join our growing family of distilleries in Bardstown and Nelson County,” Mayor Heaton said. “Bardstown is known as the Bourbon Capital of the World. This new investment is a testament that there is no better place to make bourbon, educate and entertain visitors than Bardstown, Kentucky. The announcement comes as a result of much hard work by many people in the public and private sector here. The City of Bardstown is proud to be a part of this exciting project.”
Nelson County Judge-Executive Dean Watts said the project will have a positive impact on the community.
“The announcement of Stoli Group’s American Whiskey Distillery coming to Nelson County is excellent economic news,” Judge-Executive Watts said. “We appreciate their investment in our community and look forward to helping with their success.”
To encourage the investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) in September preliminarily approved the company for tax incentives up to $2 million through the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based incentive allows a company to keep a portion of its investment over the agreement term through corporate income tax credits and wage assessments by meeting job and investment targets.
In October, KEDFA approved SPI Group for up to $1.2 million in tax incentives through the Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act (KEIA). KEIA allows approved companies to recoup Kentucky sales and use tax on construction costs, building fixtures, equipment used in research and development and electronic processing.
In addition, SPI Group can receive resources from the Kentucky Skills Network. Through the Kentucky Skills Network, companies can receive no-cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced-cost customized training and job training incentives. In fiscal year 2017, the Kentucky Skills Network provided training for more than 120,000 Kentuckians and 5,700 companies from a variety of industry sectors.
Starbucks unveiled their 2017 holiday cups yesterday and fans of the annually-changing designs may have noticed something missing: color!
Since 1997, the Seattle based coffee giant has welcomed the holiday season with a cheerfully themed red cup. Now, after 20 years, this season’s cup has arrived nearly colorless.
The 2017 Starbucks holiday cup still features a seasonally themed illustration complete with a Christmas tree, a stack of gifts, clasped hands, hearts, stars, peace doves, ornaments, snowflakes, hot cocoa, and more. The design has some basic colors, a few red parts and the company’s signature green on their logo, but a Starbucks representative said that the line-art cup was intended to allow people to add their own color to their cup.
Perhaps meant to capitalize on the recent adult coloring craze, or to spark creativity among their caffeinated customers, or maybe just to save money on ink, the design captures the spirit of the holiday season while, hopefully, avoiding some of the controversy that the chain has endured on social media in previous years for swinging too far into the politically correct camp with their cups.
Two years ago, the company faced backlash after trying to avoid the “Happy Holidays” vs “Merry Christmas” type of holiday havoc by releasing plain red cups to mark the season. Last year, they went the opposite direction by releasing more than a dozen holiday themed designs inspired by customer creations.
Along with the DIY artwork cup this season comes the “Give Good” sleeve to protect hands from the hot contents. This slogan encompases the theme for this year’s holiday campaign, which Starbucks executive creative director, Leanne Fremar, says “as small as someone opening the door for you, or recognizing the people that enrich your life – your child’s teacher, a caregiver, a family friend.” Fremar continued, “the holidays are a time to celebrate all the good we give to each other and our community.”
The Give Good campaign site reads
Hold the door for someone,
connect over coffee,
say “hi” to a stranger,
give perfect gifts
to the ones you love.
And once good starts,
it keeps going and growing
from one person to the next –
simple acts of kindness
that touch the lives of many.
Because good is contagious,
and giving is too.
Registration deadline is Oct. 22
A Nov. 2 economic development forum focused on west Louisville will examine strategies and available resources to help rebuild and sustain communities.
The University of Louisville’s College of Arts and Sciences is offering the public event, “The Future of Our Community: West Louisville Economic and Community Development Forum,” at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, 1701 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd. The program runs from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Advance registration is required by Oct. 22 for the forum, which includes lunch. Participants should visit http://uofl.me/wledf-2017 and pay online or by check; fees are $60 for corporate representatives, $50 for individuals and $40 for students.
Forum breakout sessions will focus on creative financing for individual and large construction projects, economic opportunities for minority-owned firms, successful neighborhood planning and access to lending opportunities. Panelists will include residents, developers, financiers, entrepreneurs and government and community group representatives.
WAVE 3 News anchor Dawne Gee will serve as mistress of ceremonies for the event.
The program includes a 12:45-2:15 p.m. luncheon panel with former National Basketball Association players Derek Anderson and Darrell Griffith discussing “Giving Back: The Power of Investing in the Community” and a tribute to philanthropist and civic leader Charlie Johnson.
The A&S international, diversity and engagement programs office organized the forum. Other partners are Brown-Forman Corp., OneWest, PNC Bank, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis-Louisville Branch, Louisville Metro Council, Louisville Housing Authority, Louisville Forward, U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth and UofL’s urban and public affairs department.
For a full schedule of sessions and speakers, see the forum’s website. For more information, contact Clest Lanier at 502-852-3042 or cvlani01@louisville.edu.
EnterpriseCorp, the entrepreneurial support arm of GLI, welcomed nearly 300 people to the Kentucky Derby Museum for the annual Evening of Entrepreneurship, presented by Wyatt Tarrant & Combs, Wednesday evening. The event featured a keynote presentation by Frederique Dame, a well-known angel investor and former product engineer for Uber, and gave the region’s startup community a chance to celebrate their accomplishments and look ahead to the work that needs to be done to accelerate the region’s startup community.
“We’ve taken huge steps forward in just a year’s time and as other communities have taught us, once the ball is rolling it’s hard to stop it. We have every reason to be optimistic about the state of entrepreneurship in our region. Yes, there are challenges that we need to take head on to keep up the pace of this progress, but there is so much to be proud of and so many opportunities to connect, engage and grow our region’s startups,” Lisa Bajorinas, Vice President of Entrepreneurship and Talent for GLI, told the crowd during her State of Entrepreneurship address.
The theme of this year’s program was customer development, specifically the clients that have made the biggest impact on local startups and entrepreneurs. Dame’s speech centered on her time at Uber and how the company scaled from early stage to global success by listening to their drivers and customers pain points and working from that point.
“Building a product with the customer is not only essential. It’s also really fun,” Dame said. “If you’re not building for the customer, then what is your business actually doing?”
Dame also took the chance to comment on the landscape of tech startups and how established companies and entrepreneurs can work together.
“Being beta testers, as a large customer, would be incredible help to small startups and the large companies can benefit from the collaboration with startups to increase their agility within their markets,” Dame said.
In addition to Dame’s address, Mary Tapolsky took home 2017’s EnterpriseCorp Award, which recognizes an individual that has made a significant contribution to Louisville’s entrepreneurial community.
Tapolsky is the Director for Technology Commercialization and Program Administration for UofL’s Nucleus. She focuses on developing and administering programs and services to help facilitate the creation and success of startup and early stage companies. These programs include LaunchIt, an entrepreneur training program that has graduated over 380 entrepreneurs, RevIt – Accelerating Customer Growth, VetStart, Open Office Hours, e + i Entrepreneurs Meet Innovators, Nucleus MeetUps, and Startup Seminar Series – Educating Entrepreneurs. In addition, she administers the Nucleus Startup Grants program and has been instrumental in recruiting more than twenty technology-based companies to One Innovation Center.
Automotive frame manufacturer Metalsa Structural Products Inc. will add 113 jobs at its Owensboro facility with a $36.5 million expansion to produce a new line of stamped and welded components.
“With three production facilities in the commonwealth, Metalsa stands as one of our largest automotive employers,” Gov. Bevin said. “We are grateful for this additional expansion and these new jobs. This will strengthen Kentucky’s economy and further propel us toward our goal of being the American center of engineering and manufacturing excellence. We welcome this growth and congratulate both Metalsa and the Owensboro community on their success.”
The $36.5 million will include investment in robotic welding cells, assembly line robots, infrastructure and building expansions to increase the facility’s square footage to accommodate the new production line and additional warehouse space. The expansion began this summer and hiring is for September 2018 through June 2019. Company leaders expect production to begin in March 2019.
In Kentucky, Metalsa currently employs about 2,700 people at three vehicle-frame facilities. It established the Owensboro facility in 1997, opened its Hopkinsville plant in 1989 and its Elizabethtown plant dates to 1994.
Established in 1956 as Manufacturas Metálicas Monterrey with a plant in Churubusco, Mexico, the company initially produced structures for the construction industry then began manufacturing automotive parts four years later. The company changed its name to Metalsa in 1980. Current products include frames and fuel tanks for light and commercial vehicles, among other items.
Kentucky’s automotive industry — a key sector of the commonwealth’s economy — employs more than 100,000 people at 500-plus facilities across the state. This year through August, the industry announced a dozen new locations or expansions totaling $3.9 billion in investments. Those are expected to create more than 3,100 full-time jobs.
Kentucky’s ideal location as a gateway between the nation’s two auto-production hotbeds offers suppliers the opportunity to produce components in a low-cost, right-to-work state and ship their products quickly and cost-effectively to assembly plants in Kentucky and across the Midwest and South.
Sen. Joe Bowen, of Owensboro, said the announcement will benefit the region for years to come.
“It is a great day when a company that already employs so many Kentuckians chooses to expand its operations in our city,” he said. “I am pleased that Metalsa chose to increase its investment in its Owensboro facility and I thank them for their dedication to our community.”
Rep. Suzanne Miles, of Owensboro, commended Metalsa on its commitment to the region and thanked those involved with landing the project.
“I want to congratulate Metalsa Structural Products on their expansion and thank them for their continued investment in the 7th District,” Rep. Miles said. “This expansion will create jobs for the Owensboro area and bring continued economic development to our region. Metalsa Structural Products has long been a successful corporate and community partner for Owensboro, and I want to applaud all those who made this investment possible.”
Owensboro Mayor Tom Watson said the company’s growth reflects the pro-business climate of the community.
“The City of Owensboro is proud and honored to be the site of Metalsa’s expansion,” Mayor Watson said. “The company’s commitment to Owensboro is a testament to our positive business environment, a highly-skilled workforce and superb quality of life. We look forward to working with this fine corporate citizen for many years to come.”
Daviess County Judge-Executive Al Mattingly welcomed news of the expansion.
“On behalf of the fiscal court and the citizens of Daviess County, I congratulate Metalsa on their expansion,” Judge Mattingly said. “This project will create high-wage jobs, and illustrates the company’s confidence in our workforce and community.”
To encourage the investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) in June preliminarily approved Metalsa for tax incentives up to $3.5 million through the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based incentive allows a company to keep a portion of its investment over the agreement term through corporate income tax credits and wage assessments by meeting job and investment targets.
In addition, Metalsa can receive resources from the Kentucky Skills Network. Through the Kentucky Skills Network, companies can receive no-cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced-cost customized training and job training incentives. In fiscal year 2016, the Kentucky Skills Network provided training for nearly 95,000 Kentuckians and 5,000 companies from a variety of industry sectors.
For more information on Metalsa, visit www.metalsa.com.
A detailed community profile for Daviess County can be viewed at http://bit.ly/DaviessCoKy.
Information on Kentucky’s economic development efforts and programs is available at ThinkKentucky.com. Fans of the Cabinet for Economic Development can also join the discussion on Facebook or follow on Twitter. Watch the Cabinet’s “This is My Kentucky” video on YouTube.
