Josephine Sculpture Park Celebrates Fifteenth Anniversary

This September, Josephine Sculpture Park

celebrates the fifteenth anniversary of its 

unconventional founding and continued growth and community impact. From the beginning, the Park has remained committed to the mission of connecting people to each other and nature through art. 

In 2009, Founding Director and Chief Curator 

Melanie VanHouten left a tenure-track teaching position with a bold dream. Inspired by her 

experience as a Jerome Fellow at Franconia 

Sculpture Park in Minnesota, VanHouten 

returned to the site of her family’s farm with 

the purpose of providing free and accessible 

art experiences in her hometown community of Frankfort, Kentucky. 

Although some of the VanHouten family farmland had been sold to developers in the late 1990’s, a portion was still owned by Melanie’s parents, Art and Beverly VanHouten. Thrilled to support the endeavor, Art and Beverly donated the use of their 20 acres for the first 12 years of the Park’s history. Now expanded to 40 acres, Josephine Sculpture Park continues to conserve and restore native woodlands, meadows and grasslands, offering a variety of environmental education experiences.

VanHouten established the Park alongside generous family and friends. She invited artist 

colleagues from around the US to exhibit the first 16 sculptures at the opening of the Park in September 2009. Among the original exhibiting artists was Andrew Marsh, JSP’s current board chair and executive officer. 

“We all share in Mel’s vision to foster play and exploration in people’s hectic lives. The community has generously responded to this place for vital human connection with artistic expression and the natural world,” says Marsh.

Today, nestled among the natural environment are more than 70 sculptures, most of which were created by artists-in residence. JSP has worked with more than 1,000 artists over its 15 years—from local emerging artists to internationally recognized sculptors. This includes the popular Art in Public Places program, featuring rotating sculptures and murals in downtown Frankfort and at businesses across the community.

VanHouten says, “In the spirit of my grandmother Josephine, I wanted to create a place where everyone truly felt welcome. That spirit continues to inspire our entire team every single day. We hope that people take that feeling home into their daily lives and that makes the world a better place.”

For 15 years, JSP has enhanced access to arts and culture, economic growth, tourism, quality of life, environmental education, and health and wellness for the region. As the Park embarks on its next phase of growth, it will launch a capital campaign to secure the land and establish an endowment to ensure its prosperous future for generations. Additionally, the long-standing Artist-in-Residence program will resume in 2025, in conjunction with a master plan to intentionally grow the footprint of the Park, install new artworks, and steward the land. 

Unlike many arts organizations founded exclusively by wealthy benefactors, VanHouten led a community effort to bring the dream of Josephine Sculpture Park to fruition. Local community members, corporate, and foundation support have been the bedrock of JSP and continue to underwrite its growth.

The public can look forward to opportunities to celebrate JSP’s fifteenth anniversary by attending Symphonic Stroll on September 7, a partnership with Lexington Philharmonic and Lexington Ballet. JSP’s first sculpture, Clarity Vehicle by Mollie Rabiner, will be unveiled during the event following a restoration generously supported by the Scot Walters Sculpture Fund. The anniversary will continue to be commemorated through the end of the year, culminating in a celebration on December 8, 2024 at Joy Full, an end of-year gratitude gathering. The community is invited to attend this family-friendly event, which will feature music and art-making. 

Published August 14, 2024