New murals in Louisville appear like the first flowers of spring — quietly at first and then suddenly, their blooms are all around us.
For local artistLiz Richter, who often deals in florals, the process of creating each mural is just as varied as the types of clients and projects she takes on — from NuLu to St. Matthews Liz has 7 murals (which you can tour on her website). And she recently added another to her portfolio outside of city limits in La Grange as part of HGTV’s “Hometown Kickstart.”
We were curious about what it takes to create a mural in Derby City, so we gave her a call.
Liz Richter sits against her mural in Smoketown. | Photo by Leslie Rodriguez
Timing
Liz said the type of business or project often determines the timeline of the piece, with her work on the Multisensory Public Art for Clifton project — a current work in progress with the Kentucky School for the Blind — set to take about three years to complete. Other works, like her Time Spent With Cats piece on the side of Lucky Cat Cafe & Lounge, take only a few months.
Bidding process
Occasionally Liz will respond to “Calls for Artists,” which organizations put out from time to time, but she said it can be a bit of a double-edged sword — on the one hand, it helps emerging artists get a chance to have their work considered for a big project, but on the other, it asks artists to surrender their ideas for free without necessarily getting the bid.
“It’s important for people to understand that we are contractors and that even though it’s art, there’s a specific process and we are entrepreneurs, too,” Liz said. “There is a need for artists to value their time and for local businesses and organizations to understand the value of an artist’s time and that this is a very special field and that there’s not very many people who can do it.”
Louisville’s first drive-in movie theater on the backside of Best Buy. | Photo by @lizrichterart
Some clients — like her NuLu Wildflower piece for Google Fiber — don’t have a definitive brief in mind while others have specific themes they look to highlight. Last summer, Liz did a piece on the backside of the Best Buy in St. Matthews celebrating the history of Louisville’s first drive-in theater, which was established there in the early 1940s.
Click the button below to learn more about the nuts and bolts of mural making, Liz’s dream wall to paint + her upcoming show at Revelry Boutique + Gallery.
Free Summer Movie Night | Mon., June 20 | 8:30 p.m. | Iroquois Amphitheater | Free | Gates open at 7:30 p.m. to watch this free, outdoor screening of the movie “Grease.” 🍿
Tuesday
Music Trivia with Greg! | Tues., June 21 | 8-10 p.m. | Planet of the Tapes, 640 Barret Ave. | Free | Gather your music know-it-alls + compete to become music trivia champs at this movie-themed bar.
Thursday
Michter’s Speakeasy | Thurs., June 23 | 6:30-9 p.m. | Frazier History Museum | $42+ | Travel back to the roaring twenties with bourbon tastings, live jazz music, a complimentary cocktail, food + swanky prizes.
Friday
Creatures of the Night: In Search of the Blue Ghost | Fri., June 24 | 9-11:30 p.m. | Bernheim Forest | $12 for members; $15 for non-members | Take a driving tour through sections of the forest where nocturnal creatures are most active.
Saturday
The Great American Campout | Sat., June 25-Sun., June 26 | 5 p.m.-10 a.m. | $25+ | Join this nationwide camping event with classic outdoor activities — like hiking + making s’mores. 🏕️
Sunday
Boozy Brunch & Bourbon Sunday | Sun., June 26 | 10:45 a.m. | Omni Hotel Louisville, 400 S. 2nd St. | $179 | Enjoy a local brunch and cocktail + tour KY Artisan and Bulleit Distilleries. 🥃
We have amonthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
Meet laundry’s new power couple. | Photo provided by Dirty Labs
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The Biscuit Lounge — named after the building’s former use as a biscuit factory — is now open at 120 S. 10th St., with a grand opening ceremonyplanned for September. It’s currently open Wednesday-Friday, 4-8 p.m. Unfortunately, there are no biscuits served here but the lounge will offercraft cocktails, like old fashioneds. (WDRB)
Coming Soon
Gallant Fox Brewing is opening a second location in Mt. Washington — making it the first brewery in Bullitt County. The new location off the US 31 bypass will also have the brewery’s first full kitchen where it will serve gourmet smashburgers + hot dogs. It’s expected to open in the fall. 🦊(WDRB)
Closing
TOZA | Apothecary + Tea House at 976 Barret Ave. is closing its doors. As a result, the shop will be selling its entire inventory(excluding consignment) at 30% off. You can email the store if you’d like to place a final order. Previously placed orders will also be fulfilled.
Ranked
Louisville ranked No. 2 out of ten cities on SINGULART’s “America’s most creative cities” list. The rankings come after the art website surveyed 1,518 Americans about their creative endeavors — such as work, favorite creative outlets + hobbies.
Feel Good
The wait is finally over. The Kentucky Derby Museumhas named its new miniature horse after receiving 1,400+ ideas from community members. His name is “Mighty Aristides,” which pays homage to the first-ever Kentucky Derby winner, Aristides, in 1875. Nicknamed “Ari,” he’s a stablemate with Rita’s Partner, a retired thoroughbred. 🐴 (WHAS11)
Community
The Okolona Fire Protection District Station 3 at 1714 Rangeland Rd. is now home to the 10th Safe Haven Baby Box in the commonwealth + the second in Okolona. Safe Haven Baby Boxes are used for people to anonymously surrender their newborns, with six of the 10 locations in Kentucky located in Louisville. (WDRB)
UPS Worldport received a shipment of 44,000 pounds of Nestle specialty formula last week from Switzerland amid the baby formula shortage. It should be enough to produce 548,000 eight-ounce bottles — which will be distributed to hospitals, WIC programs + home health companies. 🍼 (WLKY)
Cause
The Taste of Independents — an annual awards ceremony benefitting local nonprofit APRON Inc. — is headed to The Olmsted on Sun., July 17. The charity tasting event features food and drink samples from 30+ local restaurants and brands, including Uptown Café, Six Forks Burger Company, and Fante’s Coffee. 🍽️
Try This
Kentucky Kingdom & Hurricane Bayhas partnered with Drag Queen Storytime-Kentucky to host its inaugural “Ride with Pride” event on Sat., July 2, which will include a drag show + meet and greet, picnic, and storytime, of course. Tickets are $50 and you’ll need to use the code “DQSTKY22” to purchase. 🎢 (The Courier-Journal)
Number
$1,000. That’s how much you could win when you take our brief survey. Tell us what you think about the LOUtoday newsletter + be entered to win $1,000 cash. Take the survey.
Learn
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Angel McCoughtry is one of the most monumental basketball players in UofL history — she’s the only women’s player to retire her jersey — and now she’s leaving a permanent mark on the city via a new basketball court in Shively Park that opened last Friday.
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Editor’s pick: I did something fancy on Friday and visited Audubon Country Club as a guest of one of my friends.
We lounged by the pool, enjoyed some drinks to celebrate the end of the work week, and watched the sun set over the sprawling, 18-hole golf course. I might be a country club girlie after all. Book a tour + see for yourself.
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