Blue Grass Airport Celebrates Completion of Mural

Download photo of completed mural

Lexington, KY – Blue Grass Airport and Keeneland are partnering together today to celebrate the completion of the airport's one-of-a-kind mural wall and landscape design located near Versailles Road. This project, a portion of the $35 million Runway Safety Area improvement project, incorporates the beauty of the local area and the airport's distinguished neighbors.

"The airport is often the site of the first – and last – impression for visitors to the region," said Michael Gobb, executive director at Blue Grass Airport. "This mural reflects the proud heritage of the Bluegrass and conveys the eye-pleasing landscape that historically defines central Kentucky. We are hopeful both local citizens and visitors enjoy our mural."

In addition to being a world class piece of art, the mural was a part of an agreement with the State Office of Historic Preservation to mitigate possible negative impacts our addition would have on surrounding historic areas and structures. "This gave the Airport an opportunity to eliminate an environmental impact while greatly improving the aesthetics of the Versailles Corridor," said Gobb.

Using a two-dimensional approach, the painted mural includes a compilation of features from many of Kentucky's horse farms and the regional area. Designers visited local sites and landmarks to develop a quintessential Kentucky image that emphasizes the proud heritage of the Bluegrass. The image was designed by Lexington-based landscape design firm, The Landplan Group, and then hand-painted by world-renowned muralist Eric Henn.

Long regarded as one of the nation's foremost muralists, Henn was named "The Eighth Wonder of the Sign World" by Signs of the Times magazine. His client list includes Proctor & Gamble, CITGO Petroleum and the Newport Aquarium. His murals have appeared on the PBS special program "Super Murals," CNN, the Discovery Channel and Sesame Street. While known and respected around the world, Henn is no stranger to the Bluegrass. An example of his previous work can be found in Lexington, on the water tower located near the split of I-75 and I-64, and along the Blue Grass Parkway in Versailles, Kentucky.

In addition to the mural wall, other aesthetic and functional elements further enhance the art feature: Ornamental estate-style fencing allows an unobstructed view of the mural wall from Versailles Road, while maintaining the highest level of security for Blue Grass Airport. The landscaping also features attributes common to the region, such as the use of stone fencing made from "Keeneland Ruble" stone to mask security access roads, the use of ivy to soften the appearance of part of the retaining wall and the inclusion of gently rolling hills, which are indicative of the Bluegrass region.

"Blue Grass Airport is an important part of Keeneland's business," said Keeneland President and CEO Nick Nicholson. "People come from all over the world to buy and race horses here. It makes sense to emphasize the horse as part of central Kentucky's brand and identity. The mural is a perfect example of that."

The mural project is one component of a comprehensive four-phase Runway Safety Area improvement project that began in October 2003, and will be completed in 2007. This project provides 600 feet of safety area for each end of the airport's primary commercial service runway. The mural design and retaining wall was the result of the combined efforts of Tetra Tech, Inc., Central Rock, Inc., the Landplan Group and Blue Grass Airport.

Blue Grass Airport is served by six major airline brands providing convenient non-stop service to 14 major hub cities and direct service to hundreds of destinations worldwide. The airport proudly serves over one million central and eastern Kentucky travelers each year.