Forecastle Foundation Contributes $50,000 to Fund Environmental Work
The Forecastle Foundation, a non-profit organization promoting local and international environmental education and conservation, has donated $50,000 to help conservation projects in Kentucky and Brazil.
Kentucky Natural Lands Trust (KNLT), an organization that works to preserve and restore the state’s remaining wildlands received a donation of $25,000. The money will fund the purchase of land in the Pine Mountain project, the largest landscape level conservation project ever undertaken in the state, in an area that serves as a migration path and refuge for hundreds of species, some of which are found nowhere else in the world.
In a striking illustration of the interconnectedness of life on earth, the project in Kentucky is linked to the Foundation’s second project in Parana, Brazil, by the migration of several neotropical species.
The Guayaki Foundation, an organization that has pioneered a sustainable development model that empowers local indigenous communities in Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay to regenerate and protect the Atlantic Rainforest, also received a check for $25,000.
The collaborative project with the Forecastle Foundation will help ensure restoration, preservation and long-term stewardship of 3,000 acres of South American Atlantic rainforest. In 2013, funding from the Forecastle Foundation ensured education for 150 students at the Mangueirinha Indigenous Reserve, and the planting of nearly 500 trees. By mid-2015, Guayaki Foundation hopes to accomplish the goal of planting 2,400 trees and establishing a long-term stewardship plan at the Marrecas Indigenous Reserve in Parana, Brazil.
The Forecastle Foundation is the 501(c)(3) non-profit environmental activism arm of the Forecastle Festival, which is held annually at Louisville’s Waterfront Park. The Foundation works each year to benefit conservation work in highly-threatened, biological hot spots. The Forecastle Festival currently serves as the largest contributor to the Forecastle Foundation.
Since it’s inception in 2011, The Forecastle Foundation has contributed nearly $100,000 to education and conservation efforts in Kentucky and beyond.
Ben Bridwell is November Artist of the Month at Gallery 104
Ben Bridwell is a self-taught award winning metal sculptor. Working in stainless steel and aluminum he has created numerous abstract and whimsical sculptures in addition to large fountains and conference tables for private and corporate collectors. He is well known for his risk taking contemporary styles and a unique ability to transform sheets of metal into stunning functional works of art. Bridwell enjoys the collaborative process that takes place when working with other artists, architects, or designers for large scale pieces. While his work is shown in art galleries across the country, Bridwell works primarily on a commission only basis, meaning pieces are designed and made to order. It is his desire through art, to reveal the inherent beauty within some of the metals we commonly use. The textures colors and shapes available from many metals are often taken for granted and sometimes not used to their full advantage.
Bridwell reflects on his work by saying: “My background in metal fabrication and welding provided the framework from which my art has emerged.” Kathy Dowling, Executive Director, describes Bridwell’s work as: “Beautiful, colorful metal flowers and abstractions which greet visitors to LaGrange with oversized Jurassic-like joy.”
Gallery 104 is owned and operated by the Arts Association of Oldham County. It is located at 104 E. Main Street, La Grange. Visit the gallery’s website at www.gallery104.org.
21c Museum Hotels Named as a Recipient of 2014 Travel + Leisure Global Vision Award
21c Museum Hotels has been presented with a 2014 Global Vision Award from Travel + Leisure magazine in the Culture category. The 2014 Global Vision Awards recognize hotels, tour operators, airlines and innovators that are transforming the way travelers see the world, now and in the future. The awards were juried by a distinguished group including Bonnie Burnham, president and CEO of the World Monuments Fund; Joseph Stiglitz, the Nobel Prize–winning economist and Anya Schiffrin, director of Columbia University’s media and advocacy program, and others. Winners are named in categories that include Sustainability, Culture, Conservation, Community, and Leadership. Conservancy Safaris Namibia, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Naked Stables Private Reserve in China are among this year’s honorees. The full list of 2014 Global Vision Award winners is featured on www.TravelandLeisure.com and in the November issue of Travel + Leisure magazine.
“We are thrilled to be included in this group of organizations that share our missions of community building and preservation,” said Steve Wilson, Founder and CEO of 21c Museum Hotels. “My wife and I started 21c to create a new kind of travel and cultural experience, with the belief that contemporary art can engage communities locally and connect them to the global conversation. We are excited to see the positive effects of our efforts within the communities we operate in, and we look forward to bringing the 21c experience to new markets.”
Recognized by Travel + Leisure as an “an innovative hotel brand turning unexpected American cities into art-driven destinations,” 21c Museum Hotels was founded by Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson, contemporary art collectors who sought to marry their passion for urban revitalization with their vision of integrating contemporary art into daily life. 21c is an inventive union of genuine hospitality, thoughtful design, and culinary creativity — all anchored by a contemporary art museum that is open, free of charge, to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The company operates properties in Louisville, Cincinnati, and Bentonville, Arkansas, and has historic renovations under construction in Durham and Lexington. The company is also developing hotels in Oklahoma City, Kansas City and Nashville. With over 30,000 square feet of contemporary art exhibition space across the three current properties, 21c presents thought-provoking exhibitions and collaborates with local arts organizations and non-profits to create a full roster of cultural programming.
In early 2015, 21c Museum Hotel Durham will launch in the rehabilitated Historic Hill building on North Corcoran Street, and will feature 125 guest rooms, 10,500 square feet of contemporary art exhibition space, and Counting House restaurant.
For reservations or to learn more about 21c Museum Hotels, visit www.21cMuseumHotels.com.