Established in 2015, The Wheelhouse Project team launched efforts to gather input from Smoketown residents on what the community needed most. The mission included 1,500+ suggestions and convening 15 community events to source a collective vision from Smoketown residents.
Central to the Wheelhouse Project’s success is the utilization of a 2-acre property located at Preston and Finzer Streets, which was generously donated by Hillerich & Bradsby Co. to the Community Foundation of Louisville. The Wheelhouse Project will focus on providing a safe place for children to play, a community green space, an improved quality of life, and employment opportunities. Art and culture will also play an essential role in the revitalization of the historic but underserved Smoketown. For more information, visit www.wheelhouseproject.org. Additional partners in this project include Boys & Girls Clubs of Kentuckiana and KMAC Museum.
Bernheim has joined the project to serve as the play, conceptual, nature-based programming development and sustainability adviser. Bernheim will serve as the green lead for the early design, while also advising on play (with the expertise of our initiative, the Children at Play Network) and programming for exterior and common space to connect people to nature.
Today marks the announcement of our participation in conjunction with the installation of Reflection, a Smoketown public art project commissioned by KMAC Museum with artist Jibade-Khalil Huffman in collaboration with 19 artists from across the region and nation. The installation will surround the property at the intersection of Preston and Finzer Streets. It is free and open to the public, so feel free to stop by and see this unique piece of art.
