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Photo: Kentucky Derby Museum
Kentucky Derby Museum is pleased to announce the grand prize winner of the Horsing Around With Art competition, presented by WinStar Farm Ivylee McKean, a senior at Pleasure Ridge Park High School, was awarded the top prize out of more than 200 entries from 30 Metro Louisville schools.
McKean’s oil painting, flecked with gold leafing, of horses coming down the stretch with the famed Twin Spires in the distance was judged to best “capture the spirit of the Kentucky Derby”. She will receive six box seats to Kentucky Derby 144, a ribbon, plaque and a certificate. PRP’s art department will also receive $500 for art supplies. Her work will be professionally framed and displayed in the Museum for one year.
Kentucky Derby Museum Patrick Armstrong, Education Coordinator Heather Hill and other staff members, along with Ivylee’s Mom, surprised her with a dozen red roses and the news that she’d won the contest during her art class Monday.
Other distinctive and divisional award winners were also announced today. For a complete list, click here.
The competition is open to students in grades 1-12 from Louisville Metro public, private or parochial schools and showcases the student’s take on the Kentucky Derby in different artistic style, media and form. The exhibit runs now through February 18th.
All winners and exhibiting students will be recognized in a special ceremony at the Kentucky Derby Museum on February 13th.
For more information on Horsing Around With Art, visit DerbyMuseum.org.
Photo: Kentucky Derby Museum
Hundreds of pieces of extraordinary student artwork will be on display beginning today, Monday, January 15th, for the Kentucky Derby Museum’s 32nd annual Horsing Around with Art: A Student’s view of the Sport of Kings art competition, presented by WinStar Farm.
The competition is open to students in grades one through 12 from Louisville Metro public, private or parochial schools and showcases the student’s take on the Kentucky Derby in different artistic style, media and form. This year, more than 30 schools submitted over 200 pieces of artwork for the competition.
“Horsing Around with Art is an exhibit we look forward to opening each year. The spirit of the Kentucky Derby and the equine industry is captured with such creativity and talent by all student artists. The quality of the artwork never fails to amaze the judges and visitors alike. It is a wonderful way to celebrate and champion the arts in our local schools,” Kentucky Derby Museum President Patrick Armstrong said.
“WinStar is proud to support the Kentucky Derby Museum’s student art competition that not only encourages youth to participate and express their talent but also to become fans of the Thoroughbred industry in the process. Initiatives that have the ability to create new fans are essential to the sport and generate excitement for one of the industry’s most celebrated events,” President and CEO of WinStar Farm Elliott Walden said.
The 2018 Horsing Around With Art: A Student’s View of the Sport of Kings runs January 15 through February 18 in the Museum’s Matt Winn Gallery.
A panel of judges will select winners in several categories of distinctive and divisional awards.
One Grand Prize winner, whose work is judged to best “capture the spirit of the Kentucky Derby”, will take home six tickets to Kentucky Derby 144 and will have their artwork on display at the Kentucky Derby Museum for one year. Other prizes include a chance to experience Churchill Downs Racetrack’s backside during the first morning of Kentucky Derby Week , a private tour of WinStar Farm, a private tour of Hermitage Farm as well as high quality art supplies.
A total of $6,000 in quality art supplies will be awarded to winning schools’ art departments.
All winners and exhibiting students will be recognized during a ceremony at the Kentucky Derby Museum on February 13.
Photo: Kentucky Derby Museum
The Kentucky Derby Museum received a grant from the Kentucky Colonels in the amount of $7,150 to help purchase a new golf cart for the Museum. After the success of both the Around the Golf Cart and Race Day Golf Cart tours, adding a second golf cart to the Museum’s fleet will help keep up with demand for the specialty tours, especially as Derby season fast approaches.
The Kentucky Colonels is an organization of talented and capable men and women appointed by the Governor because of their citizenship and service. Their primary objective is to support Kentucky organizations who stand ready to help our citizens everywhere. The Kentucky Colonels, through their Good Works Program, distributed $1.5 million to support 171 worthy causes this year, which will impact over 3 million people across the state.
“A Kentucky Colonel is more than just a certificate, it’s a group of compassionate individuals that care about the citizens of Kentucky and who want to make a difference. We harness our members’ generous donations and award grants to not-for-profits to help those most in need throughout the Commonwealth,” Barbara Dutschke, Commanding General of the Board of Trustees of the Kentucky Colonels said.
The golf cart will be ready for tours this spring. If you are interested in reserving your spring or Derby season tour, visit DerbyMuseum.org.
From the Kentucky Derby Museum:
We were honored to be a 2017 recipient of the Better Business Bureau’s Torch Award in the Large Non-Profit Organization category.
BBB Torch Award Winners and Finalists Announced
Honoring Ethical Businesses and Non- Profit Organizations in our Community
Better Business Bureau serving Louisville, Southern Indiana, and Western Kentucky is proud to announce the winners and finalists of the 2017 BBB Torch Awards for Marketplace Ethics. The winners and finalists were honored at the BBB Torch Awards luncheon on November 1st.
BBB President/CEO, Reanna Smith-Hamblin says, “Torch Awards go to businesses and non-profits that are committed to marketplace trust and conducting their business practices in an ethical manner. No award could mean more to a business or organization’s reputation than a BBB Torch Award!”
Here is the list of winners and finalists of the 2017 Torch Awards:
Very Small Business Category:
Safety NET (Winner)
Steurer & Jacoby Crafted by The Firebird Group (Finalist)
Small Business Category:
Our House Restoration (Winner)
Large Business Category:
Mortenson Dental Partners (Winner)
MCM CPAs & Advisors (Finalist)
Small Non-Profit Organization
Center for Nonprofit Excellence (Winner)
Louisville Metro Police Foundation (Finalist)
Large Non-Profit Organization
Kentucky Derby Museum (Winner)
Gilda’s Club Louisville (Finalist)
Congratulations to these businesses and non-profit organizations!
The Kentucky Derby Museum announces a $6.5 million renovation and expansion project, adding over 11,000 square feet of brand new space and renovation of an existing 5,000 square feet. It will be the largest expansion of the Museum’s footprint since the building was constructed in 1985 and one of the largest renovations since a major refurbishing project following damaging flooding in 2009.
The expansion will provide a greater visitor experience for guests with an emphasis on new exhibit space. The recently acquired D. Wayne Lukas collection will be featured in its own permanent gallery. It also creates space to display key pieces of the Bill Shoemaker collection, which has been housed in the Museum’s archives for many years. The expanded second floor will feature other exhibits, plus additional meeting and rental space.
The Museum will build an entirely new third floor within the expansion footprint to house administrative offices, a large conference room and storage areas.
On the ground level, a new stable will house the Museum’s resident Thoroughbred and miniature horse. The area will include seating for educational programming. It also features more than 7,400 square feet of covered space that can be set for various events, including outdoor weddings, dinners, parties and more. With the addition of the new rental space, the Museum will be able to host events with as many as 1,300 people.
The Museum closed out fiscal year 2017 with a record-setting attendance number, welcoming more than 230,000 visitors through its doors, an increase of 5.6 percent over the previous fiscal year. The energy of that success compelled the Museum’s Board of Directors and leadership team to pursue an expansion project and enhance the overall visitor experience.
“We wanted to build upon the momentum of our recent growth and take the Museum to the next level. With this expansion, we’ll create a new, dynamic way to present our mission to engage, educate and excite everyone about the extraordinary event that is the Kentucky Derby to guests from around the world,” Kentucky Derby Museum President and CEO Patrick Armstrong said.
“The Kentucky Derby Museum is one of the city’s iconic attractions drawing both leisure and convention travelers looking for an authentic Louisville experience,” Karen Williams, President & CEO of the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau said. “The expansion and renovation will offer our visitors even more one-of-a-kind opportunities to enjoy the thrills and traditions of the legendary Kentucky Derby.”
Construction is set to begin after Kentucky Derby 2018 and is expected to be complete by November, in time for the 2018 Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs Racetrack.
Before you head to Churchill Downs Racetrack for Twilight Thursday racing, join the Kentucky Derby Museum and Woodford Reserve for a Bourbon Mix & Mingle on Thursday, September 28th beginning at 4p.m. It’s the perfect bourbon experience to enhance your evening before enjoying an evening at the races!
Learn about Woodford Reserve first-hand from the brand’s ambassadors, and then learn how to craft the perfect Mint Julep and Old-Fashioned cocktail during a personalized demonstration.
Guests will be able to create two cocktails and enjoy signature Derby Café appetizers. The evening also includes a general admission ticket to Churchill Downs for live evening Thoroughbred racing at Twilight Thursday.
For the first time in 99 years, a total solar eclipse will pass over the U.S. from one coast to the other. Where will you experience this historic event? How about the infield at Churchill Downs Racetrack!
The Kentucky Derby Museum is offering a Solar Eclipse Viewing Tour on Monday, August 21st from 1-3p.m. We’ll provide guests with free eclipse viewing glasses and an ideal location for one of the best views of the eclipse in Louisville at the optimal viewing time.
Learn more about Eclipse, an 18th Century, undefeated Thoroughbred racehorse who became a very successful sire and today appears in the pedigree of most modern Thoroughbreds. He also lends his name to the Eclipse Awards, one of the highest honors bestowed in Thoroughbred racing and racing media coverage.
A Behind the Scenes Tour of Churchill Downs and general admission to the Museum is also included, giving guests time to explore two floors of interact exhibits and take in a viewing of the 360° movie, The Greatest Race.
Tickets for the Solar Eclipse Viewing Tour are $50 per person. Kids under 5 are free. For more information and to secure your spot, visit here.