Ah, the arts! We are a city with a reputation for nurturing our creative types. As we have seen, anyone with the drive and determination to turn their passion into a reality can make a name for themselves here. There are countless opportunities for artists and craftworkers to exhibit their skills and wares. Take, for example, the Bluegrass Art Experience happening this weekend at Churchill Downs. The infield will be full to the brim with music, dancing, visual arts, food, literature, local libation, and so much else.
Of course, we here in the www.louisville.com Movies column are primarily concerned with the film aspect of things, and the Bluegrass Art Experience has that covered with the exhibition of the participants of the Bluegrass Film Challenge. Forty participating teams were tasked with creating a short film with every creative process – from writing to shooting to editing – taking place in the course of only a week. The entries are in, and on Saturday and Sunday the resulting films will be screened in a make-shift theater set up in the infield.
The awards ceremony takes place on Monday, and horror and sci-fi geeks should be agog at the presenters: Ari Lehman (the
original Jason Voorhees from “Friday the 13th”) and Doug Jones (the Silver Surfer from “Fantastic 4,” Pan from “Pan's Labyrinth,” and, my personal favorite, the Lead Gentleman from the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” episode “Hush).
The Bluegrass Art Experience takes place at the Churchill Downs infield this weekend, Saturday, May 26 through Monday, May 28 (Memorial Day), from noon to 8:00 on Saturday and Sunday and from noon to 6:00 on Monday. Bring the family out and spend Memorial Day weekend enjoying local art, local food, and, most importantly, local film.
Image: Churchill Downs website
