Corbin budgets $25,000 for new public arts projects

Downtown Corbin, which already features the statue of Colonel Harland Sanders, the 2132 locomotive and half a dozen existing murals, is looking to add some more public art projects.

Corbin Mayor Suzie Razmus (left) and Corbin Tourism Director Maggy Kriebel (right) pose next to the Welcome to Corbin mural that is on the side of the Pennington Wellness building along Main Street. The city commission recently budgeted $25,000 for more public art projects.

The recently approved fiscal year 2021-2022 Corbin budget includes a $25,000 allocation for public arts projects, which will be administered by the Corbin Downtown Manager’s Office.

Downtown Manager and Corbin Tourism Director Maggy Monhollen said that the city has a desire to continue to do arts projects.

Currently there are no specific projects in the works.

“We do have some spaces where we want to do a mural or additional murals,” said Monhollen, who noted that the new Whitley County Farmer’s Market pavilion is a good example of one such a location.

The wall behind Cloud’s Medical, which is adjacent to where the pavilion will be built, is a good example of a location where a farmer’s market related mural might be painted.

“We have the really nice wall beside the splash pad that we could put a really fun mural for children. There could be other projects too,” she said.

Monhollen added that the public arts project might not be limited to murals.

“I would love to see, I guess you would call them giant sculptures, placed throughout the city,” she said.