SPEDA, Chamber and tourism organizations launch sculpture project to benefit Somerset Veterans Memorial Park
As lake season comes to a close in Somerset-Pulaski County, four community organizations have launched a project to keep it alive and vibrant throughout the year.
Ride the Wave — a partnership between the Somerset-Pulaski Economic Development Authority (SPEDA), the Somerset-Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce, Lake Cumberland Tourism and See Somerset Tourism — is a celebration of Lake Cumberland, tourism and the rich arts culture in Somerset-Pulaski County.
Artists from across the region are invited to participate in this project, in which large fiberglass sculptures of a boat riding the waves of Lake Cumberland are sold to local businesses and organizations to benefit Somerset Veterans Memorial Park, a project of the SPEDA Community Foundation (a certified 501(c)3 non-profit). After being painted, the sculptures will be unveiled to the public at the Foodstock Festival in downtown Somerset on April 19, 2025, and then at highly visible outdoor locations selected by participating businesses/organizations as part of the Ride the Wave Sculpture Trail.
Inspired by Lexington, Kentucky’s popular Horse Mania, in which horse sculptures are decorated, auctioned and displayed throughout the city, SPEDA President and CEO Chris Girdler said the group wanted to do something to honor Somerset-Pulaski County’s No. 1 industry and its wealth of visual artists while supporting a downtown park that means so much to so many.
“When I first saw the horse that the founders of Horse Soldier Bourbon commissioned for the LexArts Horse Mania event, I immediately knew I wanted to do something like this here in Somerset,” Girdler said. “Projects like these are an incredible way to support local arts while visually telling a community’s story. These sculptures will begin as boats riding a wave on Lake Cumberland, but when they come to life, they will be so much more. I am grateful to our partnering organizations for helping us tell Somerset-Pulaski County’s story in such a unique way and doing so to benefit Somerset Veterans Memorial Park, a place that has become central to our story. We also thank the LexArts organization for mentoring us through this project and for all they do for the arts in Kentucky.”
Lake Cumberland Tourism Executive Director Michelle Allen said she and See Somerset Tourism Executive Director Leslie Ikerd are constantly looking for ways to tie the lake to downtown for the area’s more than 4 million visitors per year, and that often happens through arts and entertainment. This project is the perfect marriage of those two ideas, Allen said.
“Our message to visitors is always, ‘Spend the day on the lake, spend the evening in downtown Somerset,’” Allen said. “We have built a thriving downtown through outdoor art, festivals and entertainment, and this sculpture project brings those concepts together so well. We can’t wait to see what our artists will create and to encourage our residents and visitors to Ride the Wave of this sculpture trail to experience it.”
Ikerd said she is especially excited to unveil these sculptures at Foodstock Festival, one of three free events downtown created to celebrate food, music and art.
“We have had so many incredible projects come to life during our festivals through the years as part of our live art activations,” Ikerd said. “It is only fitting that we unveil these sculptures as festival season kicks off downtown in 2025. We are honored to be a part of this project, to honor our veterans and military service members through art, and to continue supporting the vision that quality of life is central to tourism and economic development.”
Somerset-Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Bobby Clue said he encourages the business community to embrace this project, as it is an investment in what makes Somerset and Pulaski County so special.
“This project allows local business owners and non-profit leaders to do three valuable things — make a tax-deductible donation by purchasing a sculpture to benefit our beautiful downtown veterans park, celebrate the arts for being so centric to Somerset and Pulaski County’s growth, and create visibility for their business or organization by becoming a part of the Ride the Wave Sculpture Trail,” Clue said. “It’s a win-win-win for our business community and I’m so excited to see these sculptures throughout Pulaski County as an extension of our already vibrant downtown.”
Sculptures are officially on sale following the project’s kickoff today at the monthly chamber luncheon. There are only 20 sculptures available at this time and the deadline to purchase is 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25. For pricing information, call SPEDA at (606) 425-5409 or e-mail SPEDA Chief Financial Officer Jessica Carlton at jessica@speda.org.
A call for artists will open at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4. Artists interested in painting one or more of the purchased sculptures should visit https://somersetkyleads.com/ride-the-wave/ and complete the Artist Expression of Interest Form at the bottom of the page. Artists are asked to provide contact information and examples of past work that will be passed along to buyers.
Buyers have until Friday, Nov. 1, to select an artist for their sculptures and are responsible for negotiating fees associated with the artist’s work. Artists and buyers then have until Thursday, Dec. 5, to submit a design for the boat sculpture and its permanent location after it is unveiled at the Foodstock Festival. Upon approval, artists will have until April 29, 2025, to complete their sculptures.
Complete information, including artist and buyer guidelines and a project calendar, can be found at https://somersetkyleads.com/ride-the-wave/. For more information or to purchase, call SPEDA at (606) 425-5409 or e-mail Carlton at jessica@speda.org.