‘Change’ from public art program supports local artists, recycles parking meters

By Mark Boxley

mark@kyforward.com

Sometimes the smallest idea can turn into something big, something unique, and in some instances it can evolve into something revolutionary.

The “Change for Art” project in Lexington may just encompass all of those things.

It’s a public art program that takes decommissioned Lexington parking meters and gives them to local artists who transform them into art installations. The kicker is, though, that the parking meters will continue to function — not as parking spaces, but they will collect funds that will be used to support local artists.

One of the public art parking meters will be installed Saturday outside CD Central on South Limestone Street and the organization plans to have eight installed by the end of the year. Ultimately the plan is to have 30 installed around Lexington.

“It’s a lofty goal, but it should be achievable,” said Robbie Morgan, founder and president of Change for Art.

Morgan — who is also Campaign Manager and Director of Volunteer for LexArts — explained that the idea sprung from a recent conversation. A phrase stuck in her head: “It’s not big revolution that does anything, it’s small change.”

The concept rested in the back of her head until one day the idea for Change for Art struck her.

Morgan had seen parking meters that had been turned into public art, and parking meters that were used to raise funds, but as far as she knew, “there have never been public art meters that continue to collect funds.”

The money gathered by the installations will initially go to fund artists producing the parking meter art. But once that goal is reached, the money will be used to produce “artist opportunity grants.”

“So, it’s all about making sure our artists here are supported with small project grants,” Morgan said.

Local artist Blake Snyder Eames, who created the piece that will be installed in front of CD Central Saturday, was thrilled when her application was approved by Change for Art. More than just something interesting to look at, she said the entire concept of using an old parking meter was something she hoped would touch members of the community.

“It bridges all of these different things,” she said. “It bridges recycling and reusing something that was bound for the landfill, it brings public art to people that wouldn’t necessarily have a chance to see it, and it raises money for artists.

“Not ‘the arts,’ for individual artists, which is wonderful.”

Steve Baron, owner of CD Central, said he was approached by Morgan, who was looking for an installation site near the University of Kentucky campus. She asked and Baron said yes, “it was just that simple,” he said.

“It’s a good way to recycle a piece of old equipment that, I guess, would have been trashed by the city,” he said. “And instead, they’re putting it to some good use.

“I don’t know if it’s being done anywhere else, but I’m sure it will catch on in other cities when people see this,” he said. “And hopefully it’s going to be a success.”

On top of everything else, Morgan hopes the general pubic will see the project — something that germinated from a simple idea into a full-blown movement — and come to the same realization she did.

“I think that when people see regular people doing this regular thing … that it becomes a more accessible idea, to see that it’s as simple as that,” Morgan said. “People have ideas all the time and feel totally disconnected from being able to make them happen.

“It is this simple to put your ideas out into the world.”

Saturday’s unveiling of Eames’ art installation outside CD Central will take place at 5 p.m., but Change for Art volunteers will be at the site starting at 11 a.m. Eames will also be at the store signing T-shirts, Morgan said.

Artists interested in participating in the Change for Art project can contact the organization at changeforart@gmail.com for an application packet. For more information on Change for Art, visit the group’s Facebook page.

Photos of artist Blake Snyder Eames by Jill Seelmeyer.