Smoketown Arts Festival Celebrates History and Future of Neighborhood in Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - June 24, 2015 - PRLog -- On July 11, 2015, IDEAS and YouthBuild Louisville - with support from Louisville Metro Housing Authority, ArtPlace America, Kertis Creative, Asia Institute-Crane House, the Yale-China Arts Fellowship, Kertis Creative, Louisville Ballet, Jones Motor Service and Bridge Kids International - will present the Smoketown Arts Festival, to be located on the corner of Preston and Lampton St. from 4-10pm.

The Smoketown Arts Festival is a free community event on July 11, 2015 that will celebrate the 150 year anniversary of the neighborhood, including a tribute to Smoketown artist and icon Zephra May Miller. The festival will feature interactive booths by local organizations, arts activities, performances, film and more. There is plenty of room to picnic, play and spend the day so bring a blanket, friends and family. In case of rain, the event will be held across the street at Meyzeek Middle School.

“The Smoketown Arts Festival, part of the growing Creative Innovation Zone, will include a variety of arts activities and vendor booths, along with a performance of The West End Poetry Opera by Roots & Wings and the premiere of Lavel White’s documentary, 'More Than Bricks and Mortar: Smoketown A New Beginning,'" said Josh Miller, co-founder of IDEAS. “The park in which the Festival is being held is across from YouthBuild’s learning campus. The park is called 'The People’s Park' and was created last fall during the GE Smoketown Streetscape.  It’s the perfect location for bringing the community together for a day celebrating arts and culture, including a dedication to Zephra May Miller of Smoketown.”

“The momentum underway to revitalize the Smoketown neighborhood is a testament to the passion and creativity of its many residents and stakeholders.  LMHA is excited to be part of these transformational efforts, and proud to offer new housing, like the Sheppard Square HOPE VI community, that delivers significant health, economic and environmental benefits to families.” Tim Barry, Executive Director, Louisville Metro Housing Authority.

For more information on the Smoktown Arts Festival, visit ideaslouisville.com. For more information on the Creative Innovation Zone, supported by ArtPlace America, visit https://creativeinnovationzone.wordpress.com/.

Schedule of Events

4p-7p
Festival Kick Off with The River City Drum Corps.
Dance performance by Fierce Dancing Tigerettes.
Community Arts Activities for young people by Steam Exchange.
Free Health Screenings and Community Health Information.

Learning Lab Booths include:
Kentuckians for the Commonwealth
Asia Institute-Crane House
New Roots/FreshStop
Louisville Metro Housing Authority
St. Peter Claver Community Garden
Bridge Kids International
Kentucky Museum of Art & Craft
YouthBuild Louisville
Jewish Family and Career Services
One Love Louisville

7p-8p
Presentations by artists from Hong Kong in Louisville as part of IDEAS partnership with Yale-China Association. Includes a collaborative performance with Louisville Ballet.

8p-9p
Special Presentation Honoring  Smoketown Artist Zephra May Miller.
Performance of West End Poetry Opera by Roots & Wings.

9p-10p
Documentary Premiere of "More Than Bricks and Mortar: Smoketown A New Beginning" by Lavel White.

About IDEAS

Based in Louisville, KY, IDEAS is a creative chamber of commerce run by artist-entrepreneurs who promote artists as agents of change in civic and corporate settings while serving as a creative catalyst to move Louisville forward socially, culturally, and economically. IDEAS is supported by ArtPlace America, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Educational Foundation of America. Theo Edmonds, IDEAS co-founder was named one of "50 People Who Are Changing the South in 2015" by Southern Living.

About YouthBuild Louisville (YBL):

YouthBuild Louisville is an education, job training and leadership program that provides low-income young adults ages 16-24 opportunities to realize their potential as active community leaders and an educated workforce for Louisville. YBL’s mission is to champion young adults to be great citizens who build productive lives and sustainable communities. Located in Smoketown, YBL is building a LEED-certified campus that is also home to an organic garden and orchard, rain garden, a flock of chickens, and an outdoor classroom.