Last week, Mayor Greg Fischer announced that the controversial John Breckinridge Castleman statue in the Cherokee Triangle would be taken down. The statue had been under public scrutiny for nearly a year; it was first vandalized last August following violent protests in Charlottesville, Virginia.
But that’s left people wondering what will go in its place.
According to city officials, plans for new public art haven’t been discussed. But they say any new proposals will be evaluated using the city’s new principles and guidelines.
Basically, those principles say new monuments should increase the diversity of figures and histories depicted in Louisville. And also, whenever possible, the city should pursue the conservation of historic sites rather than the celebration of historic figures.
This made us wonder: What would you like to see on that Cherokee Triangle pedestal instead? And why?
Above, Tyler Franklin, our photographer, photoshopped the space to illustrate what things would look like without Castleman for some inspiration.
We want to hear your ideas. Submit them in the form below. If you are an artist — or not — and want to include a quick sketch of your idea, let us know in your note and we’ll talk about how best to present it. And, just for clarification, this is in no way affiliated with Louisville Metro or the Public Art Commission.
Send us your ideas no later than Friday, August 31.