There are several names that, when spoken in Louisville, will garner attention. Muhammad Ali, Colonel Sanders, and any winning horses’ name will get people talking. One of the horses being talked about over the Breeder’s Cup weekend is Zenyatta. The Gallery at The Brown Hotel, located at Fourth and Broadway, is taking part in the Breeder’s Cup celebration with the exhibit of “Le Coeur du Cheval (The Heart of the Horse).” This exhibition features stunning equine art and portraiture by Louisville-based artist Jaime Corum. If you have never seen Jaime’s work in person, it is well worth the trip downtown. You’ll feel as if you’re standing on the same sacred ground as these magnificent equine athletes.
Corum’s statement about the show: “At the Heart of the Horse you will find a combination of gentleness and strength, generosity and competitive fire. In my work, I strive to capture this inner character of the horse along with the purely physical beauty. This is made easier by the fact that a horse’s character is written so clearly on the surface. Emotions ripple over the horse’s outer being like waves passing over water and can give a single horse many ‘faces.’ The magnificent Zenyatta, for example, can go from fierce racing machine to a gentle giant nuzzling her adoring fans in an instant. I love how attuned horses are to the spirit of the moment! They show their emotions freely and naturally, having not taken up the habit of hiding them like humans do. This beautiful soul housed in such magnificent equine form is my eternal inspiration. My new work seeks to get ever closer to the heart of the horse.”
Jaime Corum, who is a renowned equine artist and Bellarmine University art professor, was commissioned to do a life-size portrait of Zenyatta or “The Queen” by her owners Ann and Jerry Moss for the inaugural Breeders’ Cup Celebration. The magnificent 11-by 8- foot painting titled “The Queen’s Dance,” which depicts Zenyatta wearing the saddlecloth from her first Ladies’ Classic Breeders’ Cup win in 2008, will be unveiled during the Zenyatta Celebration Reunion Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. on Nov. 4th. It will be on display at the Derby Museum during the races. Corum will be signing posters of the painting and will be made available for $40. Limited-edition prints that are foil-stamped and signed by the Zenyatta team will also be available for $125. They can be purchased beginning Nov.4 on site at the Kentucky Derby Museum or online at Zenyattashop.com. Proceeds will benefit the V Foundation and the Moss Foundation.
The exhibit at The Brown Hotel will be on view through Dec. 9th.
