Community

By Carrie Vittitoe When Dan Jones, founder of 21st Century Parks Inc., attended a meeting of the Olmsted Parks Conservancy in 2002, it seemed obvious to him how a new generation could have the same impact as the original park system. “We should do the same thing again,” he thought after a few months of letting the idea marinate in his mind.Beckley CreekThe first steps of what became The Parklands of Floyds Fork were discussions Dan had with Bill Juckett, chairman emeritus of Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy, which then branched into meetings with Jones’ father, Dan [...]

By Carrie VittitoeThe Speed is 90 years old and one year old,” says interim director Stephen Reily. With its long history and massive renovation, the art museum has both the wisdom of time and the exuberance of youth that continues to make it a prominent gift to the local community.The things the Speed has long done well it continues to do, such as bring world-class exhibits to the city and offer outreach opportunities to schools.Now its expanded space allows the Speed to introduce new events for the community, such as after-hours gatherings and cinema programs. [...]

By Carrie VittitoeA Courier-Journal article in 2011 spurred Christy Brown to become involved in the Whiskey Row revitalization on Main Street. “These magnificent cast iron buildings were being threatened with demolition,” she says, and she felt she had to act. Phone calls led to meetings with city officials, investors, and other benefactors like herself.Christy says it became clear early on that preserving the buildings required expanded types of partnerships. “There were lots of people who cared deeply about the cultural heritage of these buildings,” she says. Those unique partnerships ultimately led to the creation of [...]

By Carrie Vittitoe(L-R) Sherry Miller of Mama's; Kortney Warfield of U-Chews; Lucretia Thompson of Lucretia's Kitchen; Viviana Dias Ferreira of Revolution Confections; Andrea Wells of Wells Made Co.; and Vy Howard of Syndesi. Photos by Melissa Donald  At its core, Chef Space is a 13,000-square-foot licensed commercial kitchen, but it is really much more. Community Ventures launched Chef Space in November 2015 to serve a multi-pronged mission in West Louisville.Lucretia's KitchenJessica Morgan, director of marketing and public relations for Community Ventures, says Chef Space provides technical assistance to entry-level food entrepreneurs, providing them access to [...]