Uniquely Nicholasville Murals Delight Downtown
Downtown Nicholasville is a gathering place, a business hub, an entertainment venue, and now… a canvas. World-renowned artist Anat Ronen recently completed a set of large-scale murals, including:
The river fish mural, located on the side of the court row building, next to the Jessamine County Courthouse.
The butterfly mural, located on the side of Nicholasville Cafe at the intersection of Main Street and Walnut Street.
The horse mural, located in downtown Nicholasville’s Performance Park, pictured on the front cover.
Going beyond beautification, these works of art are meant to represent our area and encourage engagement.
“We want people to get out of their car, take photos, and enjoy everything surrounding the murals that the city has to offer as well,” said Charla Reed, Executive Director of the Jessamine County Tourism Commission. Reed carefully sought out the right artist for the project, noting that Ronen was chosen due to her rank as one of the top 3D-style artists in the US and her knack for incorporating area staples in her work.
These murals feature animals native to Kentucky. The butterfly mural for example, includes an Eastern Tailed Blue, a Common Buckeye, a Monarch, and a Red-spotted Purple Butterfly (pictured top to bottom).
Though Ronen had never visited Kentucky before, the residents of Nicholasville quickly made her feel right at home.
“I feel like I can recharge here. I currently live in Houston and It’s huge. This [Nicholasville] has a more personal attitude, I’ve really missed that,” said Ronen. “I’ve only been here for a few days, and it already feels like I’ve been here a couple years. I love it.”
-Anat Ronan, Artist
Jessamine Chalkfest 2023, a new community celebration featuring art demonstrations and an invitation to attendees to create their own chalk masterpiece, was held to kick off the mural project. The event was so well attended by both residents and visitors, the organizers had to create more space for art throughout the day. “We originally had 65 squares mapped out for people to use and ended up having to put more down,” said Reed. “It was really a neat community experience.”
This mural project was commissioned by the Jessamine County Tourism Commission, the Jessamine County Fiscal Court, and the City of Nicholasville.
“Anything that we can do to create more beauty and more community is a good thing,” said Reed. “I hope this project will expand in future years, to different styles and different spaces.”