Sculpture

From historic to modern, Frankfort’s Public Art Tour offers sculptures to amaze, teach, and delight. We hope you enjoy the rich variety of art you will see.

Abraham Lincoln Statue

This 14 foot bronze sculpture was presented to the Commonwealth of Kentucky by James Breckinridge Speed of Louisville. On November 8, 1911, President William Howard Taft dedicated the work. Adolph Alexander Weinman, a German immigrant, was a noteworthy sculptor who also made war memorials and government monuments throughout the country, including a seated Lincoln in…

All This President’s Men

Inspired by the hopeful deconstruction of traditional white patriarchy within the long history of American politics. Sponsored by Josephine Sculpture Park

AR 1916

Inspired by eco-friendly energy concepts. It is too heavy to move by wind power alone and too industrial to meditate on, it requires human contact to move forward. Sponsored by Expree Credit Union.

Atlantis #55239

Inspired by the beauty of the Texas Gulf Coast and the legend of Atlantis. The blue-green glass represents water and the limestone, the ruins of Atlantis. Sponsored by Richard Rosen

C-Note

I love sound sculptures because they invite people to touch the art and enjoy it physically as well as visually. I especially love it when children ring the bell and learn that art is more than just pretty things. Sponsored by Richard Rosen

Cultured Stone

The inspiration for this sculpture makes it especially suited for a spot in the heart of Downtown Frankfort. Vertical and horizontal ribbons meander up, down, around, under and over each other, intersecting in the center of the sculpture to form a crossroads. This is symbolic of all the intersecting past events and forces that create…

Daddylonglegs

Parker drew his inspiration for this work from insects with their hard-shelled bodies and armor-coated, almost robotic exteriors that still manage to take flight in an instant. Parker resides in Glenside, PA and has shown his work throughout the Eastern and Midwestern U.S. Sponsor: Richard Rosen

Daniel Boone Monument

This monument, a tribute to Daniel Boone and his wife Rebecca was built by John Haley in 1860. In 1862, Robert E. Launitz added four marble panels depicting scenes from Daniel and Rebecca’s lives. One showed Daniel fighting two Native Americans. Another showed Rebecca milking a cow. A third showed Daniel speaking to a boy,…

Delegate

The form of a chair can be symbolic of a person, and this arrangement of chairs represents a social condition: how an assembly of people can be, as a whole, connected yet also distant. Sponsored by Harrod Concrete & Stone

Divine Light Glass Chandelier

Methodists have worshiped in Frankfort since 1790. The present sanctuary was built in 1856. First United Methodist Church has a long history of ministry through the arts. The original stained glass windows were recently restored. The 2006 Wesley Center was designed with the arts in mind. Gallery Hall features the work of area artists, students…

Eggcited

Eggcited was created to exemplify receiving good news or a wonderful surprise! Sponsored by Richard Rosen

Enigma

This sculpture is inspired by the complex dendrite structures in out brains that function to help us process thoughts. Sponsored by Expree Credit Union

Ephraim McDowell Statue

Charles Niehaus created two of the statues in the state capitol rotunda, the statues of statesman, Henry Clay, and Ephraim McDowell, a frontier physician. These two statues are actually painted plaster models for the bronze cast statues that represent Kentucky in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol Building.

Expree Credit Union

Frankfort’s Expree Credit Union is the site of four outdoor sculptures:         The Crucible by Douglas Schatz         Home Again by Nathan Hatch         Riven and Rail by Walter Early         Bloom Where You’re Planted by Sally Meyers The Credit Union also has…

Formed to Fit

This work focuses on the female form and how we choose to allow ourselves to be judged by the standards of appearance. Garments such as high heels reform the body into an unnatural shape, which may paradoxically be considered the ideal. The masculinity of cast iron in contrast to its feminine doily counterpart is indicative…

Governor William Goebel Statue

The statue of Governor William Goebel in front of the Old State Capitol is a reminder of the deeply divided politics of Kentucky at the end of the 19th century. After a bitterly contested election, Goebel, the Democratic contestant, was shot as he approached the steps to the Capitol by an unidentified assailant hiding in…

Hairstreak

Hairstreak is inspired by the hairstreak butterfly found throughout the continental U.S. This butterfly flits along the Kentucky River valley.

Henry Clay Statue

Charles Niehaus created two of the statues in the state capitol rotunda, the statues of statesman, Henry Clay, and Ephraim McDowell, a frontier physician. These two statues are actually painted plaster models for the bronze cast statues that represent Kentucky in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol Building.

Josephine Sculpture Park

The Josephine Sculpture Park is a unique stop on the Frankfort Public Art Tour because it is constantly changing with the seasons and the artists in residence that inhabit the park each year. A non-profit outdoor gallery, the park is free and open every day. Visitors can meander walking paths through native meadows to view…

Kentucky African American Civil War Soldiers’ Monument

This important monument at Green Hill Cemetery, honors the sacrifice of African American soldiers from Kentucky who fought and died in the Civil War. Not only did these men risk their lives in battle, they risked their lives just to enlist. In the Civil War Kentucky was a neutral state, however, those who were enslaved…

Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial

This memorial is in the form of a large sundial. The stainless steel gnomon casts its shadow upon a granite plaza. There are 1,103 names on the memorial, including 23 missing in action. Each name is engraved into the plaza, and placed so that the tip of the shadow touches his name on the anniversary…

Monarch Throne

Using the world around us as inspiration, the artists create snapshots in time using fire and metal. Scot and Laura Kellersberger

Nexus

Nexus was commissioned by the Kentucky Arts Council, the Transportation Cabinet, and the Finance and Administration Cabinet in 2003. This sculpture is an amalgamation of transportation themes including a bridge, the wing of an airplane, and a boat. The title of the piece means a convergence or coming together.

Now Get

Now Get was commissioned by the Kentucky Arts Council, the Transportation Cabinet, and the Finance and Administration Cabinet in 2003. Artist Garry Bibbs created columns to represent government and order, while the looping bridge forms connecting the columns represent travel, both in time and in space, culminating in the abstract flying automobile at the top.…

Open Heart

This sculpture was inspired by missing my wife while she was on a business trip to Japan. Her absence gave me time to think about the strength it takes for her to be emotionally vulnerable and her willingness to love without reservation. Sponsored by Expree Credit Union

Ready for Flight

An emblematic dragonfly resting atop freshwater river grasses modeled after native Kentucky species. The woven bronze dragonfly represents the connections between the local community, the neighboring school and the city, symbolizing stewardship, strength, opportunity and resiliency. The sculpture connects the inspiration of flight with the support of stable roots. Sponsored by the National Endowment for…

Rivers that Talk and Bridges That Sing

Rivers That Talk and Bridges That Sing is a sound installation housed in an upright canoe. It is inspired by childhood memory, the threat of flooding and the desire to care for the river.

Seedlings Three

Seedlings Three is about growth and the nourishment required by all forms of life. My personal connection to the work is represented in the fact that my siblings and I make three. Sponsored by Richard Rosen

Seeking Shelter

I am fascinated with the common house form, to me it symbolizes family and security. I often combine the house form with wheels that suggest a personal journey and the passage of time. Sponsored by Richard Rosen

Tasia

The sculpture was inspired by the artist’s horse, Tasia. Growing up she always wanted to be around horses and when she was 17, she bought Tasia instead of a car. Horses are a theme that can be seen throughout her work. Sponsored by Expree Credit Union

West Sixth Farm

Herb & Clarence by Greg Seigel. Greg began making stoneware pottery at his Owen County residence in 1974. His whimsical and unorthodox approach to design brought him many fans and collectors of his work. He served as an artist-in-residence at many schools across Kentucky leading students to create tile murals that still exist today. Herb…

Whitney M. Young, Jr. Statue

Whitney M. Young, an alumnus of Kentucky State University, was an African American civil rights leader from Shelbyville Kentucky. He spent most of his career working to end employment discrimination in the United States and transforming the National Urban League from a relatively passive civil rights organization into one that aggressively fought for equitable access…