21c lobby

I headed down to Louisville, Kentucky for the first time to check out the hotel/museum 21c owned by Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson. The red penguin, seen above in pajamas for their annual pajama party fundraiser, is the logo and mascot of the establishment. The 90-room property, which occupies five 19th-century brick buildings on West Main Street, was opened in 2006 and last year was voted as one of the best hotels in the US.

Exhibition Space in lobby

“Nearly three-quarters of the paintings, sculptures, photos, and video installations at 21C are part of Wilson and Brown’s personal collection, valued at more than $10 million. In addition, the couple’s 21C Foundation, which now administers their holdings, has purchased dozens of new works to fill the guest rooms, hallways, bathrooms, restaurant, bar, and 9,000 square feet of galleries. All of the works on view were produced by living artists—hence the hotel’s name, a reference to the 21st century.”-travel + leisure 2006

21c Restaurant: Proof on Main

Art fills every available space, including the restaurant. This work with papers floating and being blown all over is based on Hokusai’s woodblock print called “A Sudden Gust of Wind.”

Bar at Proof on Main

Wheel of Fortune

Another reason for my trip to Louisville was to see the massive installation that an artist who is in the show I curated has been working on. The work is “a physical record inspired from the artist’s memory of the tornado that leveled much of Louisville on April 3rd, 1974. The work consists of broken eggs, flashlights, dolls’ heads, turkey basters, and batteries made of wood as well as found objects made of glass swirl together that form a massive funnel cloud in 21c’s Atrium Gallery.”-21c website.

Wheel of Fortune detail

“I wanted to look at the clash between devastation and beauty, and the unexpected consequences of disaster. I started from my own childhood memories of the 1974 tornado, which left my house untouched but my neighborhood devastated and my yard filled with other people’s possessions. While Wheel of Fortune grew out of events in own my life, I want to speak to the experience of anyone touched by the bizarre dislocations of calamity.”-Anne Peabody

Peabody

These pictures do not do the work justice. It is a massive piece that fills the large atrium gallery space commanding attention, reverence and keen observation.

Ivan Navarro in elevators

Every nook and cranny of the hotel includes art. These Navarro works can be found in the hotel elevators.

Hot Brown at the Brown Hotel

On my first trip to Louisville I had to try a “hot brown.” Toast smothered with bechamel and melted cheddar, stewed tomatoes, fresh roasted turkey, and bacon–what’s not to like?

Brown and Wilson's barn

Steve and Laura Lee’s barn is just as gorgeous as their home.

Anne and Nicole

Nicole and Anne at Steve and Laura Lee’s with a view of the Ohio River.

Hall in Laura Lee and Steve's home

The hallway includes a Stephan Balkenhol wood work “Man on Cathedral” and Carlos Garaicoa’s wall work made of push pins and paper. There is also a terrific video work by Peter Sarkisian (not shown in the above photo) of a puddle shaped video screen with a video projection of blue dripping on it –so clever.

Living room

Everywhere you look there is art incorporated into their home and apparently it changes on a regular basis. Embroidered silk works by Angelo Filomeno, an amazing wooden chair by Jay Bolotin, a Bill Viola video, and a steel Rebecca Horn work can be found in the living room.

Upstairs Office

In the upstairs office there is an amazing Michael Eastman photo of a horse, two powerful paintings by Santa Fe artist Grant Hayunga, and 5 oil on glass round works by Conrad Botes.

Upstairs hallway

A wonderful work in latex rubber by Robert Overby hangs over the table and a photo by Slater Bradley (whom I went to high school with) is on the west wall.

Master Bathroom

A Nick Cave Soundsuit can be found by the tub. Photos by Loretta Lux and Laura Sanders grace the walls. And a precious Amy Cutler gouache on paper is on the wall leading to the master bedroom.

Downstairs Office

This amazing work by Ye Hongxing is a mandala made of stickers. A beautiful work!

Al Shands living room

Another great Louisville collector whom I had the privilege of meeting is Al Shands.I want to thank him for generously allowing me to tour his collection in his home.  The art here has a very different feel than that of Steve and Laura Lee, but is just as impressive. Shands likes to get to know all of the artists whose work he purchases, often inviting them to his home to pick the spot for the commissioned work. Al is very proud of his most recent commission by Maya Lin. Above is a Sol Lewitt wall work and a Judy Pfaff sculpture.

Hallway at Shands residence

A Bob Arneson head on the column, an Anish Kapoor yellow dish on the left, an Agnes Bourne red bench, and a Richard Deacon gray sculpture can been seen. An Ursula von Rydingsvard and Tony Cragg sculptures are other works not on view in this photo but are wonderful pieces in his collection.

Nic in Shand's office with Sol Lewitt drawing