A Guide to Louisville's Street Murals (Part 1)

   

Louisville, KY has a very robust and thriving street art mural scene that deserves some exploration and that's exactly what I did over the course of three days in March and April.  I set out to find as many street murals I could in the city that I've called home for 15 years.  Some murals I knew about ahead of time but many  were found by pure accident.  As I explored the various  neighborhoods that make up the city, I quickly learned the Derby City has more murals than I realized - it's just a matter of finding them.  Here are some of my favorites from three distinct parts of town:

EAST MARKET DISTRICT/NuLu

The Falls City mural is located at 415 E. Market Street on the western side of the building that houses Falls City Lofts.  It was created by Bryan Todd.

This whimsical flower mural is located on the western side of the building that houses Red Tree Furniture at 703 E. Market Street across the street from Garage Bar, a funky restaurant and bar that is housed in - you guessed it - a former auto service garage! (Pardon the dark light pole shadow in the middle of the mural.)

Less than a block south of the flower mural is this futuristic You're Important to the Future mural located on the southern side of the Via Studios building at 223 South Clay Street.

Coincidentally, this pixelated holding hands mural is located on the same building as the previous mural, but this one is on the northern side of the building.  I had no idea about this mural, I just stumbled upon it while walking back to my car.

This chicken king mural is appropriately located at 736 E. Market Street, where Royal's Hot Chicken is located.  If you've never tried Nashville-style Hot Chicken, this is a great place to try it.

W. MAIN STREET - PORTLAND 

This Shine Bright mural is located at 903 W. Main Street in the building currently occupied by Rouck Plumbing.  It is on the eastern side of the building, almost directly underneath an I-64 ramp.

I found this freedom mural while walking in the Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon.  The race course went right by the building at 1204 W. Main Street.  This mural was created by The Art Cartel (who also created the chicken king mural above).

About three blocks west, at the corner of W. Main Street and 15th Street (1531 W. Main) is this pretty water mural that is appropriate named The Waterfall. Unfortunately, the mural is behind a barbed wire chainlink fence on an industrial warehouse type building. When I arrived to take the picture, there was an ugly freight trailer parked right in front of it.  

Update - The Waterfall was created by C. L. Chappell in 2015 and was sponsored by The Portland Investment Initiative, the Los Angeles based non-profit Beautify Earth, and by the rock band My Morning Jacket whose members hail from Louisville.  The Waterfall was also featured on the cover of band's 2015 album of the same name.

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One block north of the waterfall mural, on the northwest corner of the intersection of 15th Street and Rowan Street is the Whatever You Are, Be a Good One mural.  This was another accidental street mural that I found and I have absolutely no idea what is housed in the building.

BARDSTOWN ROAD & THE HIGHLANDS

This Lincoln mural is located underneath the Waterson Expressway on Bardstown Road.  It is a rather long mural, as it curves from the retaining wall on the north side underneath the expressway.  It is best viewed when traveling south on Bardstown Road.  This picture is only a portion of the mural.

This Spirit of the Highlands mural is located at 1529 Bardstown Road on the southeast side of Old Town Wine and Spirits building.  On the opposite side of the building is another mural that spans the entire length of the structure and depicts scenes from the early twentieth century.  For some reason, it reminded me of The Great Gatsby.  

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Located on the Lucia Avenue side of The Wine Market building, located at 1200  Bardstown Road, is the Weird, Independent, & Proud mural.

About block northwest of The Wine Shop, is this lotus mural by artist C.L. Chappell at 1126 Bardstown Road.  Depending on the direction you are walking/driving, it is extremely easy to miss.  Just remember that it is across the street from Akikos Karaoke Club.

At 1064 Bardstown Road, is HopCat, a funky brew pub that offers eclectic pub fare and a massive beer list. On the Grinstead Drive side of the building is this abstract mural in earthy, southwestern hues.

This last mural is one of my favorites, but it isn't easily seen from the street or sidewalk as it is located behind a locked gate at 1034 Bardstown Road, behind the Holy Grale gastropub.  I don't know if it has an official name or not, but I like to refer to it as the "Thuggish Pugs" mural. (Sorry about the unsightly trashcans, but I had to take what I could get in terms of a picture.)

Have you ever been to Louisville and seen any of these murals?  Do you have a favorite?

And, as the title implies, there is a Part 2 to this guide which can be found here.

A very special thanks to my friend, Jason, who helped me locate several of these murals!  (You win!)

Linking up with:

Herding Cats & Burning Soup

Blog All About It Challenge

April Prompt - Art

Shooting Stars Mag and Not In Jersey

Local Tourist

The Weekly Postcard

Positive Practice Living

Budget Travelers Sandbox