Arts Non-Profit Celebrates Expansion to Kentucky with Workshops at Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory
A California-based arts organization that’s already made a major mark in Louisville will officially launch its presence in the city by celebrating the healing power of art.
Artists for Trauma will hold a series of free workshops Sunday, August 27th from Noon to 4pm at The Skybox on the third floor of Louisville Slugger Factory and Museum on Main Street.
Artists for Trauma was one of the driving forces behind the 7-story mural of Muhammad Ali on the Chestnut Street Family YMCA. Now the organization is planning ongoing programming and outreach in the Derby City.
“Louisville has an incredible community of local artists, and we’re grateful for the welcome they’ve given us,” said founder Laura Sharpe, who recently purchased a home in the city. “We’re thrilled to establish ourselves as part of the Louisville community, and to help those artists amplify their impact.”
Sharpe’s partner, Eddie Donaldson, is a Louisville native who played a key role in bringing both the Fairey mural and Artists for Trauma to his hometown.
“Ever since I moved to California as a teenager, I’ve always wanted to come back and have an impact on Louisville,” said Donaldson, also known as the artist Guerilla One. “I’m finally getting that chance through connecting Laura’s work and world-class artists to the town where I grew up.”
Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory already has roots in the art community with its Big Glove sculpture and the iconic 120-foot bat at the front entrance created by local artists. That was just one of the things that made this event a perfect fit.
“We’ve helped build community in Louisville for more than a hundred years,” said Andrew Soliday, Marketing Director of Hillerich & Bradsby Co.. “We’re proud to partner with an organization committed to the same goal, bringing people together in downtown to make lives better through art.”
The free public workshops will feature local artists in multiple disciplines, all leading hands-on experiences for all ages and abilities:
Sculpture
Where Wood Meets Wonder
Visual
Where Wood Meets WaterColor, Paint & Collage
Poetry and Spoken Word
Where Words Meet Wonder
Music
Where Sound Meets Wonder
Many other organizations have helped make the event possible through support or participation, including 7th and Main, Danny Wimmer Presents, Louisville Downtown Partnership, Hatfield Media, the YMCA Black Achievers, Whitney/Strong, the Muhammad Ali Center, Muse Kits and and Fleur de Lis Communications.
