July 2019 – Mentelle Neighborhood Association

Warehouse Block ‘Cubes’ unveiled, lit.

The Warehouse Block today unveiled the The Cubes, a new public art installation behind Local’s Craft Food & Drink that will serve as a gateway to the mixed-use commercial district within Mentelle Neighborhood.

The art installation, designed by Ryan Hargrove and Renato Virto of the University of Kentucky, was funded by the Warehouse Block Business Association and the Lexington Corridors Commission. The Cubes are along a landscaped path that will be called The Grove and will be illuminated at night with multicolored LED lighting.

About 40 people, including Urban County Council members Bill Farmer, chairman of the Corridors Commission; James Brown; and Amanda Mays Bledsoe, attended a dedication ceremony emceed by Chad Walker of Walker Properties.

“The Warehouse Block is an exciting, growing area downtown,” Mayor Linda Gorton said in a prepared statement, although she was unable to attend. “Public art is a good addition.”

See The Cubes on Saturday during the Block Party, featuring local artists, food trucks, businesses and non-profit organizations set up along National Avenue. Music will be provided by three bands at the Mirror Twin Brewing Stage: Type Blue Band, Hi-5 and the StarDevils. The event is family friendly and open to the public from noon until 10 p.m.

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Have you seen the new poetry box?

Kentucky Poet Laureate Jeff Worley poses beside the Poetry Box with Tom Eblen’s grandson, Sam.

As Kentucky’s Poet Laureate for 2019-2020, one of Aurora Avenue resident Jeff Worley’s missions is to spread the enjoyment and appreciation of poetry across the state. His most local effort is on his side fence: the poetry box. Each week, Jeff selects a poem he likes from a variety of authors and prints a dozen or so copies to display in the box. Passersby are free to take a copy if they like the poem. So far, he says, it is proving quite popular.

Mentelle Park resident Tom Eblen got the idea from writers Dorianne Laux and Joseph Millar, who were featured in the book Carolina Writers at Home, by Med Reid and Rob McDonald. Jeff liked the idea, so Tom made him one.

Check it out on the long fence along North Ashland Avenue between Cramer and Aurora avenues. Think of it as a benefit of living in the same neighborhood as Kentucky’s Poet Laureate: Literature chosen just for you.

H&G tour book ads for sale

The Mentelle Neighborhood Association is preparing for another Home & Garden Tour fundraiser the afternoon of Sunday, Sept. 15. The last tour attracted a crowd of nearly 300 visitors.

As part of the illustrated tour booklet, we are selling advertisements — $50 for a half page and $100 for a full page. If you, your business or some business or organization you know would like to place an ad, please contact Shelby Reynolds at: reybart88@yahoo.com

More Warehouse Block Party details; sculpture reveal Friday (not Saturday)

From Chad Walker at Warehouse Block:

On Friday, July 26 at 10 a.m., the Warehouse Block Business Association, along with the LFUCG Corridors Commission, will host an unveiling ceremony for an art project known as the “Cubes.” They are three large art pieces, ranging in size from six feet to eight feet in height, complete with LED alternating lighting, which will mark the entry to the Warehouse Block neighborhood along National Avenue.

The ceremony will take place at a new walking path behind Locals’ Craft Food & Drink. The designer of the project, Ryan Hargrove of the UK Department of Landscape Architecture, who also designed the Southland Drive entry sign, will be on hand to explain the concept behind the design. Also in attendance will be several Urban County Council members, members from the Corridors Commission and business owners from the Warehouse Block. Locals’ will host a reception following the unveiling with a complimentary early lunch for all attendees.

The Block Party will begin at noon and end at 10 p.m. Saturday, July 27. National Avenue will be closed at North Ashland Avenue and Walton Avenue. The parking lot at 740 National Avenue will still be functional. Multiple food trucks, businesses and local artists will line the streets for the event. Three bands will be in attendance at the Mirror Twin Stage: Type Blue (rock and roll cover band); Hi 5 (classics); and StarDevils (rock-a-billy.) Music will begin around 4:30 p.m. The event is free and family-friendly.