I recently heard someone say, “It’s not springtime, it’s Derbytime.” We in Louisville and Southern Indiana have managed to commandeer an entire season! And yet it feels so right.
So how do you know it’s Derbytime besides looking at the calendar? You spy an abundance of horses created by either Jaime Corum or Jeaneen Barnhart, two of the top equine artists around. This year, the Gallery at The Brown Hotel (Fourth and Broadway, brownhotel.com) has both of them in one show. “Opposites Attract” will be up through June 1.
For a slightly different take on that animal we get so excited about and the culture that surrounds it, head over to the Kentucky Derby Museum (704 Central Ave., derbymuseum.org). Printmakers Nick Baute and Robert Ronk of Hound Dog Press, multimedia artist Susanna Crum and painter/illustrator Douglas Miller have each interpreted the history and spectacle that is at the heart of the Kentucky Derby in “Impressions: Art of the Race.” The exhibition is showing through Aug. 3 in the museum’s new visual art space.
While you’re at KDM, be sure to see “Horse Play.” Besides the low-tech horse-head-on-a-riding-stick, who knew there were so many horse-related toys and games? It’ll be up through Dec. 31.
What should a person do after retiring from the U.S. Secret Service? Draw and paint horses, of course. Karen Barry has done just that since her retirement in 2000. Her work is on display at Gallery 104 through April (104 E. Main St., La Grange, gallery104.org).
Expect to see Derby ideas that are completely creative and left of center at WHY Louisville Two’s “Giddy Up Too.” The show will run through May 3 (806 E. Market St., whylouisville.com).
A new location for horse culture is the pop-up gallery Hippik (1403 Story Ave., hippik-hippique.com). It carries equestrian art, vintage and custom equestrian-inspired wear, and barn and home furniture. The gallery will be at this location until Derby.
Regalo’s new location in SoFo (562 S. Fourth St., regaloart.com) is presenting the “Twiggy Originals Derby Show” through the end of May.
E&S Gallery (108 S. 10th St., eandsgallery.com) is hosting its 2014 Derby Art Gala on Friday, May 2. This year’s featured artist is Charles Bibbs.
The Brennan House and Gardens (631 S. Fifth St., preservationlouisville.org) is again holding an Oaks Brunch on Friday, May 2, for $50. The fifth annual Annmarie’s Art Breakfast on Saturday, May 3, is a fundraiser for the Lomenta Foundation and its Annmarie Campbell Artist Scholarship at Murray State University. The breakfast will be at the Nucleus Innovation Center (300 E. Market St.); tickets are $35 and are available through showclix.com or by calling 292-2351.
But before you go anywhere, you need a hat. Wearing a head covering to the races is a British tradition that Kentucky inherited. There are many galleries and museums that feature hats and fascinators, including the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft (715 W. Main St., kmacmuseum.org). The Arts Council of Southern Indiana (820 E. Market St., New Albany, artscouncilsi.org) is presenting “Mad as a Hatter” through May 17. 21c Museum Hotel (700 W. Main St., 21cmuseum.org) is featuring CRAFT(s) Gallery’s Derby pop-up shop with hats May 1-2. The Mill Gallery (400 E. Main St., kenziekapp.com) features hats by Kenzie Kapp.
“The Crowns We Wear” at Revelry Boutique Gallery (980 Barret Ave, revelrygallery.com) came about because of owner Mo McKnight Howe’s personal experience. “I knew I had to feature Nina Rosenberg as my Derby artist after I wore one of her fascinator turbans to Derby last year and could not go 10 feet without someone taking a photo of it or asking me where I got it,” she says. Revelry will be moving to 742 E. Market St. as of April 28 and will reopen in that new location on May 1.
