A national competition for the design of a new WWI Memorial in Washington DC, offered by the WWI Centennial Commission, is getting underway. On Sounds Good, Kate Lochte speaks with Kentucky Arts Council Executive Director Lori Meadows about how Kentucky artists can submit their plans and other programs offered by the Council this summer.
Lori Meadows says Kentucky artists are not only eligible to apply but many have the ability to win it. The memorial will be staged around the existing park - Pershing Park, where there is currently a sculpture of General Pershing. The memorial should be reflective, not triumphant. They don't want it to trivialize war, but pay attention to the fact that so many soldiers were killed and memorialize their service, she says. Artists should design the space, not just put a sculpture there. She suggests an artist partner with a landscape architect. There's a two-phase process to entering the competition. The first is submitting information about the concept. These will then be narrowed-down to a second round that looks at the artists, their references and budget. The deadline is July 21.
This summer, museums around the nation are particpating in a service called "Blue Star Museums" offering free admission to active duty military personnel and their families, including National Guard and Reserves, from Memorial Day through Labor Day. In Paducah, the River Discovery Center is a Blue Star Museum, she says.
The Etsy Craft Entrepreneur Program is for people interested in the different ways of marketing their products, where free training is offered to artists looking to start an online business and learning the ins and outs of the process. The first workshop will be in Hazard, Kentucky. Meadows says they are interested in knowing about other parts of the state where this workshop might be successful, seeking partners for the available space, which will need to include computers for the trainees to use.
Lori Meadows is Executive Director of the Kentucky Arts Council. The deadline for entry into the national World War 1 Memorial Design Competition is July 21. See the World War I Centennial Commission websiteor the Kentucky Arts Council's Facebook page for more.
