Covington, Kentucky, in the northern part of the Commonwealth, has the third largest number of outdoor sculptures of any city in Kentucky, following Louisville and Lexington. Located on the banks of the Ohio River, Covington served as a major riverport around the turn of the nineteenth century. The prosperity of the city during this period is evidenced by the number of sculptures created at the time and located throughout the downtown area on building facades, in cemeteries, outside churches, and in public spaces.
While the sculpture located in Covington is reflective of that found in much of Kentucky, with historic works greatly outnumbering contemporary pieces, the city's sculpture also has a distinctive regional character. Much of the sculpture is liturgical, influenced by the large number of German and Irish Catholic immigrants who settled in the area. European inspiration is evident in sculptures such as St. Peter and St. Paul created in Germany in 1922, and the 1980 Goose Girl Fountain based on a German fairy story.
Covington's long-standing regard for outdoor sculpture is apparent in the breadth of sculpture installation dates: liturgical works dating from the early 1900s, Works Progress Administration pieces created in 1940 for the United States Post Office, and seven bronze historic figure sculptures commissioned in 1988.
The current residents of Covington are aware of the importance of preserving their outdoor works of art. Within the past few years many of the area's outdoor sculptures have been cleaned and restored, including Barnhorn's Crucifixion in the Mother of God Cemetery and the Goose Girl Fountain in Mainstrasse Village. The seven bronze figures along the riverfront have also recently been cleaned, thanks to a maintenance fund established at the time of their commission and installation. The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption and Mother of God Church are currently developing a restoration plan for their sculpture.
Covington's strong interest in outdoor sculpture, and the city's understanding of the need for proper maintenance and conservation practices led to the area's selection as one of the SOS! Community Campus sites. In mid December, 1996, an art historian and a sculpture conservator will spend a week in Covington working with the community to increase appreciation and general understanding about outdoor sculpture.
The information and images used in this exhibit were provided by Kentucky Save Outdoor Sculpture! volunteers and were compiled during the course of the Kentucky SOS! survey project. As new infomration is obtained, it will be added to the Kentucky SOS! database and the Inventory of American Sculpture, searchable via telnet.
These images are best viewed on at least a 15" monitor with the resolution set to 800 x 600, and 16-bit color (thousands of colors).
Descriptions of the sculpture contained in this exhibit.
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This page last reviewed 13, December 2002.