A nonprofit publication of the Kentucky Center for Public Service Journalism

Ludlow students in afterschool program make mosaic benches for River Cities Public Art Project


By Jill Morenz
Catalytic Fund

Students from the afterschool program at Ludlow Independent Schools recently unveiled three mosaic benches they made as part of the Celebrate the River Cities Public Art Project. The project is an initiative of the Catalytic Fund and the Ludlow benches were funded with a grant from ArtsWave.

Jill Morenz, Director of Community Initiatives and Communications for the Catalytic Fund explains, “Celebrate the River Cities highlights unique features of five of Northern Kentucky’s river cities by creating permanent public art that is made by the children, in partnership with local artists, teachers and community members.”

Art projects for the cities of Dayton, Bellevue and Newport will start in 2020 and have been funded by a generous grant from Greater Cincinnati Foundation.

Plans for these projects include fused glass flowers, recreations of local historical figures and kite banners. Funding is still being sought for the Covington project.

Mike Borchers, Superintendent of Ludlow Independent Schools, was very pleased with the results of the bench project.

“I like that this project created a collaboration between the elementary students in our SHINE after school program and our middle school students in our SOAR program. This was a great opportunity for the kids to learn all kinds of new skills, like building the benches, cutting the glass mosaic tiles, communicating with the artist, deciding where the benches will go in the community.”

He also pointed out that, while the students go on field trips to see art in museums, “they rarely get the opportunity to create a public art project like this with their own hands.”

Melanie Beccaccio, Director of the SOAR program, got her students involved in both the building of the benches and the creation of the glass mosaics. She said, “What stands out to me is the opportunity to join the SOAR and SHINE programs in a project that lets the students explore new territory, build new skills and provide a meaningful piece of art to the community.”
The artist who guided the students in making the mosaics was Lori Kay Farr. Her work has been featured in projects like the UC Hero Bearcats, the Big Pig Gig and the NKY Bourbon Barrel Project. She said, “I have a love of public art and teaching mosaics. So, this Ludlow bench project fit perfectly. It was exciting to know that the work the students and I were creating was going to be enjoyed by many in the community.”

Farr enjoyed watching the students solve challenges in the creation of the art, as well as “seeing their faces light up with delight and pride in their work.”

The students will present the completed benches to the city at an upcoming City Council meeting. Afterward, the benches will be installed around Ludlow near the school’s football field, in the city park and by the train viewing platform.

The Catalytic Development Funding Corp. of Northern Kentucky (the Catalytic Fund) is a private sector, not-for-profit company providing creative financing solutions and related services for developers of quality residential and commercial real estate projects in Northern Kentucky’s River cities of Ludlow, Covington, Newport, Bellevue, and Dayton.


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