LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – The bourbon district of downtown Louisville is seeing a lot more color thanks to a local artist with a vision and a lot of paint.
On an afternoon when temperatures flirted with 100 degrees, artist Whitney Olsen was getting ready for work — her “office” 20 feet in the air on a cherry picker.
Her canvas is the MSD pumping station at 4th and Main Streets.
“I would pass this building three or four times a week and I was like 'I totally know what that building is'…and thank God, because it needed some life,” said Olsen.
MSD commissioned her to paint its station by using $120,000 toward the cost of hiring Olsen, building prep, landscape removal and supply costs.
“We had no idea that she was one, local. Two, a U of L graduate and three so young and so it's just exciting all the way around,” said MSD spokesperson Sheryl Lauder.
The theme is “safe, clean waterways.” Nearly every inch of the building depicts parts of the Ohio River — from river lilies to catfish and turtles. The main pipes will soon be painted to represent a waterfall that leads into a shimmering glass pool.
The mural will soon have a 3D aspect that will focus on light and how the building looks at different parts of the day. Countless pieces of glass including bath and pool tiles are used to reflect different colors of light onto the sidewalk.
Glass fish and birds are currently being created to add to the building in a couple weeks.
Olsen received the proposal last summer and after sketching it, it was time to take it to the walls.
“It's just been an all day, every day thing. I have worked on it probably all day, every day since January,” said Olsen. “I just kind of Bob Ross'd it, like, happy strokes, stepping away, running across the street, looking at it, running back.”
While she’s created smaller murals in Nashville and for music festivals, this is her pride and joy — and biggest piece yet.
Even though it’s not done yet, it doesn’t take long for people to stop by and take photos. That’s a huge compliment for Olsen whose passion is now hard to miss – and for others to enjoy.
"Every time I pass it, I am so excited I love it. It's just so colorful," Olsen said.
The mural is expected to be completed sometime in August.
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