Photo provided by Southbank Partners.
Southbank Partners’ gift expands gallery of outdoor public art
COVINGTON, Ky. – Nashville has its winged “What Lifts You” mural. Chicago has “Cloud Gate,” aka “The Bean.” Cincinnati has its “Sing the Queen City” sculpture.
Soon, a 12-foot-high “Love The COV” sculpture created in the same vein will take its place in Covington’s growing “gallery” of iconic public art, all the while playing an important part in the city’s tourism experience as the symbolic “heart” of The Cov.
On Tuesday, the Covington Board of Commissioners accepted the gift of the to-be-created large-scale sculpture from Southbank Partners, a nonprofit regional economic development organization serving the river cities of Northern Kentucky. The sculpture will give form to the City’s new “manifesto” and will be placed at the eastern overlook at Covington Plaza overlooking the Ohio River. The gift is valued at $70,000.
“We are thrilled to add this iconic piece of public art to the city’s growing outdoor ‘gallery,’” said Assistant Economic Development Director Sarah Allan. “Having art that is accessible to everyone is critical to a city’s vibrancy, and we think this particular piece furthers the dialogue with residents and visitors by showcasing the city’s brand and spirit.”
The sculpture is part of Southbank Partners’ overall strategy to enhance Riverfront Commons in each of the river cities through public art activations. The 20-mile multi-use path along the riverfront, which will connect river cities from Devou Park in the west to Pendery Park in the east, has been the organization’s signature project since the early 2000s.
The "Love The COV" sculpture will be created by Indianapolis-based artist Luke Crawley of Owens + Crawley, who created “Everybody’s Bench,” an artistic bench with a canopy of acrylic panels now located in the 700 block of Scott Street. That project was made possible through the City’s Quality of Place Grant and was inspired by Covington resident Morgan Daruwala.
The "Love The COV" sculpture consists of three block letters – the “C” and “V” have a capped height of 10 foot, while the symmetrical red heart in the center will be capped at 12 foot – and be secured to separate foundations for each letter/symbol. The sculpture will be visible from both sides of the river, and lighting will be added for both safety and visibility.
Will Weber, president and CEO of Southbank Partners, said the sculpture was made possible because of a partnership with meetNKY and Horizon Community Funds of Northern Kentucky.
“We are excited to see this piece come to life later this fall as a fixture of the riverfront and as a must-see while you are in The Cov,” said Weber. “Covington Plaza has been a crown jewel of Riverfront Commons since its completion, and we are excited to work with a renowned artist to create an iconic piece for the Covington riverfront – but this is just the beginning.”
# # #