For the last Gallery Hop of 2009, take a guided tour and stroll down the re-emerging Third Street entertainment and arts district. The guided tours pm & 7pm, $5, kids free) will last about one hour and allow everyone time to enjoy many of the other great exhibits ready to satisfy the hunger of your eyes for visually delicious and spicy art. The HOBY Hop Down 3rd Street Tours will begin at no betta place than the bodacious Pat Gerhard-owned and painted Third Street Stuff (257 N. Lime) and will end at the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden (Third and Midland). This HOBY Down 3rd St. Tour will be guided by yours truly, the Ace Weekly-crowned eco-activist, and will feature the 2009 HOBY murals.
More than 180 youth came to Lexington June 6 for the second rendition of “Artists & Youth Create Community Together,” the community service project conspired by Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY), The Knight Foundation and Sustainable Communities Network. These young folks who came from all around Kentucky to Lexington as part of HOBY teamed with local artists for this outstanding community art service project. This year’s theme was Eastend neighborhood history, sustainability and sacred Earth connections. Eleven (11) of these beautiful and
inspiring murals are now located along 3rd St and have created lots of conversation and questions. What is the meaning of 54? What is the Trail of Tears? When will East End be emancipated? … are a few of the David Chappelle-type questions that I will answer Friday night.
Other stops along the Tour will include the London Ferrel Community Garden, the funkadelic Artsy Bus Stop, the Lyric Theatre growing from ashes and the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden now adorned with a holyday tree. If you hop down to Al’s Bar Friday or any night check out the other 14 murals from 2008 HOBY that hang on the exterior wall at 758 N Limestone owned by community activist, Marty Clifford.
The HOBY murals shine with radiant colors and sacred symbols the murals speak of love, harmony and peace. The murals proclaim diversity, respect and environmental health. The murals inspire recycling, new music, and eyes on the future. The composition and color of these murals are but a small attempt to reflect our ONENESS. Our connection with the Earth Community. Our inter-dependence … our need to develop sustainable communities. EveryONE is invited to come by and see the murals … feel the inspiration. Listen to the murals. Let them speak to you … feel the resonance within you. Enjoy their rhythms and colorful feast … may your eyes dance and dine as did ours.
Photos of the murals along with a listing of all HOBY youth ambassadors, local artists and mural concept description are available on line at:
http://kyhoby.googlepages.com.
Jim Embry, Sustainable Communities Network (sustainlex.org extends “lotsa thanks and hugs to Dawn Brockman, Harmony Little, Vitale Buford, Knight Foundation, the crew at the Hugh O’Brian Kentucky Youth Leadership Seminar, the business folks that let us crazy-glue these murals to their walls and all of the color-mixing HOBY youth and local artists that used palettes as turntables.” Contact him for additional tours times this year.
