LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A new Louisville non-profit focused on bourbon is hoping to draw attention to Kentucky's art scene.
Bourbon with Heart, founded by Morgan Hancock, is presenting "Barrels of Heart" at the Frazier History Museum in February.
“This is a way for us to be Kentucky to the world and showcase the talents here to the world," Hancock said.
20 local artists were selected to custom paint bourbon barrels, which will be featured in the exhibit. The barrels are sponsored by distilleries and companies, to raise money for three charities, I Would Rather Be Reading, Dream Center Academy and Blanket Louisville.
Visitors will also vote for their favorite barrel, and the winning artist will receive a cash prize and a donation to the charity of their choice.
“Art is a way of bringing people together that you may never see in the same room typically," Hancock said. "And so it’s just beautiful to see Kentucky coming together and it shows the power of art.”
Louisville-based artist Darryl Tucker is one of the participants.
Tucker started painting about a decade ago, after a paint and pour class. Then, during the pandemic, he discovered his current medium, finger painting.
“I wasn’t constricted to a brush to a canvas, I got to put my all and feel like I was putting my body into the painting just from fingers to the canvas," he said.
Tucker's finger-painted barrel features a scene from Churchill Downs, a glass of bourbon and a cigar, in bright, vibrant colors.
Tucker said a friend passed along the submission to participate in "Barrels of Heart," and he thought it would be a good chance to try something new and expose a new group of people to his work.
“I've never finger-painted a barrel, got a couple of splinters but I made it work," he said. “This may open up another door for someone to see my work and ask me questions.”
Hancock said she received more than 150 submissions from artists, and the 20 selected come from a wide range of backgrounds, generations, and abilities.
"Barrels of Heart" opens at the Frazier Museum in February. The exhibit will be open for eight weeks.
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