LexArts and the Kroger Company have announced that Lexington artists John Lackey, Liz Swanson and Aaron and Jared Scales have been commissioned to create large scale mural art to adorn the new Euclid Avenue Kroger, which is scheduled to be completed inJanuary 2015. Commissioning local art is new and uncharted territory for Kroger and this project has the potential of becoming a prototype for future unique opportunities in the Kroger family.
The Kroger Company approached LexArts this summer for assistance in commissioning local artists to create three large-scale murals, one exterior and two interior, for the new structure. The exterior mural, with a budget of $25,000, will face Marquis Avenue, while the two additional murals, with budgets of $10,000 each, will be utilized in a seating area and the produce area.
The artists were chosen after LexArts issued a Call to Artists that resulted in over 50 submissions. The selection committee included local arts and community leaders, as well as neighborhood representatives, including architect and neighborhood advocate Graham Pohl; Urban County Councilmember and owner of Euclid Avenue business Farmer's Jewelry Bill Farmer; University of Kentucky Art Museum Executive Director Stuart Horodner; West Sixth Brewery owner Ben Self; artist and art educator Georgia Henkel; Bryan Station High School student Ella Hellmuth; and LexArts Community Arts Manager Nathan Zamarron.
After thorough discussion and review of the proposals, the committee ultimately selected John Lackey of Homegrown Press for the exterior mural, and UK Associate Professor of Architecture Liz Swanson and Brocoloco's Aaron and Jared Scales for the interior murals. All of the artists are Lexington residents.
"LexArts is thrilled to collaborate with Kroger on such a significant investment in local art," said John Long, Chairman of the Board of LexArts. "All of the artist submissions were outstanding and the committee did an excellent job of curating the selection down to these three very talented artists. This is work the whole neighborhood will be very proud of."
Work on the murals, which will be created on panels at off-site locations, will begin immediately. The murals will be formally dedicated in a ceremony following the grand opening of the new site, at a date yet to be determined.