Julius
Friedman's graphic design and gallery ownership career demonstrate a rare
commitment to supporting the arts in a community. As the owner of the former
Images Gallery (1992 - 2001) and co-owner of Chapman Friedman Gallery (opened
in 2001) he has consistently promoted regional, national and international
artists and marketed their work.
An artist in his own right, his
graphics have been recognized and featured throughout the country, and some of
his images are among the most recognizable in the region. He has created
memorable images for the Louisville Ballet, the Louisville Orchestra, Bernheim
Forest, and the Louisville Visual Art Association's Dinnerworks. He
created the poster for the 1987 Southern Governor's conference, Workplace of
the Future. He has received the Gold Metal from the New York Art Directors
Show for Fresh Paint, another graphics design, and numerous other
awards. His work is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art
(MOMA) in New York and the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. One of his
graphic design prints was included in the MOMA's American Posters in the
20th Century exhibit. He was also selected by the special assistant to
President Reagan to create work for inclusion in an exhibition of 100 posters
advocating peace. This exhibition was presented to the government of Japan in
1985 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima.
An active part of the Louisville arts scene, Friedman provokes discussions and
dialogue through his own work and the work of others. He has focused his
considerable leadership skills on educating the public about art and about
living with art, talking to students about being an artist and selling art, and
sponsoring theme-related invitational shows to exhibit multiple artists
addressing one topic in order to reach a wide variety of audiences. He has
lectured extensively on design in many cities across the country.
Previous recipients: Brown-Forman Corporation, South Central Bell, Ashland Oil, Inc., Philip Morris USA, Humana, Inc., Texas Gas Transmission, Martin Coal Company, Liberty National Bank, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Trans Financial, Inc., Charlie Johnson/Active Transportation, The Commercial Bank of Grayson, William & Meredith Schroeder, Bank of Louisville, Peoples Bank of Madison County, J. W. Kinzer Drilling Company, Fifth Third Bank, Community Trust Bank