On Tuesday morning, Louisville’s Speed Art Museum broke ground on The Speed Outdoors, a new public sculpture garden. The goal of this project is to enhance Louisville’s public green spaces. Louisville, home to one of the fastest growing urban heat islands in the country, has historically lacked outdoor recreational areas in urban areas.
The groundbreaking was celebrated with an hour-long ceremony, featuring attendees such as Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg.
“I think it will be a great place for young people across our whole city to gather,” said Mayor Greenberg. “It will be an inspirational place, it can be a place to have fun, it can be a place to be serious.”
Located in the heart of the University of Louisville, the Speed is transforming their surrounding three-acres of land into a sculpture park that showcases a diverse range of artists and 13 contemporary sculptures. Some of the artists to be featured include Zaha Hadid, Sol LeWitt and Deborah Butterfield. However, the museum hopes to move beyond just these installations and commission numerous more works in the coming years after the park’s opening.
The project also expects to boast the introduction of 150 native plants onto the site, as well as numerous shaded areas covered by tree canopies.
The museum’s director, Raphaela Platow, explains how the sculpture garden is expected to benefit Louisville tourism.
“Our intention is to make sure that green spaces, and art, and culture are another really big important component of tourism in Louisville,” Platow said.
The park will be free of charge and open constantly, allowing visitors the freedom to explore at their pace. This creates an equitable environment for one of Louisville’s most diverse neighborhoods.
The ongoing 22 million fundraising campaign has already raised over half of its goal, giving the project high expectations.
It is set to open in late 2025, and expected to serve over 500,000 visitors annually, as well as 9,000 UofL students.
