We greet you with warmly, and we know your name, we know what you're interested in, and we also know how to provide adequate like next level information, like you know, techniques and stuff to help you grow in that.

So they can so I'm um I'm a level seven, but y'all are gonna encourage me to get to an eight or nine just because we like growth, and so you're gonna force me to go to eight or nine.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Okay, cool.

Um this will be interesting.

What is your favorite thing happening at Metro Arts?

That is a great question.

So part of my personality, I like to be able to expand and grow.

And so one of the things I felt that needed to really grow at Metro Arts is our ability to platform other artists.

Okay.

I am really looking forward to it.

We have two shows coming up in the month of June.

And so the first show that we have is going to be actually at Baxter Community Center.

It's called Brown Sugar and Butter.

It's an art show highlighting and platforming local black artists here in the community.

And then also we have another show happening around the same time at Metro Arts at our at our location on Dixie, and it's called Sparkle, and it's a show to platform specifically LGBTQAI um artists in the community.

Which is very interesting.

And I say which, I'm talking about both because it's very specific about reaching out and welcoming the entire community and letting everyone know that they are welcome to participate.

Absolutely.

One man's opinion, there's nothing wrong with specialized programming because one, everyone is welcome, but it also allows people to see themselves and be whole and so forth.

So that's that's interesting.

And then, as it turns out, so brown sugar and butter, butter and brown sugar.

It's called brown sugar and butter.

Brown sugar and butter is happening in the air in the time frame of Juneteenth.

Yeah, it's happening June 18th.

So that's the day before officially officially Juneteenth.

So that's great.

Last question.

Yeah.

In recreation, there's a lot of focus on programming in the community.

There's a lot of focus on crime and prevention and education.

That sometimes I think the value of art might be lost on the average citizen.

Yes.

I know enough and I dabble enough to like, oh yeah.

What do you think people young and old might be missing out on because art can sometimes be devalued?

We'll focus on technology and crime prevention and things of that nature, but by not spending enough time or giving enough love to art, what's missing?

I think art offers a time to have a safe space with yourself and maybe a limited audience and for self-expression and creativity.

If we're always just living this rigid type of schedule or life, well, I mean, everyone lives according to a schedule and routine.

But but when you make time for the arts, that's a really good time to be able to color outside the lines or get paint on the table, if you know what I'm saying.

So it's nice to be able to have those creative moments to create something really beautiful.

Because I think as people we strive and we want beautiful things in our lives.

And technically, from my perspective, that'll bring us back to crime prevention and health and safety, and because you can relax and then get back to that schedule and focusing on other things.

So great.

Well, I certainly appreciate your time.

Always appreciate your efforts and your creativity and the expanding of the program, which you've done both internally for us and externally for the community.

So thank you very much.

Yeah, thank you for having me on.

Follow us on all social tools at Lou KY Parks.

And also, if this sounds like fun, check our website for opportunities for classes, opportunities to work with us because we have a good time, and opportunities to volunteer.

This is Ben Johnson, assistant director, Louisville Park and Recreation.

We will see you next month.

Uh, for the second year of Blue Well, Kentucky here at Hearstborn Country Club hosting the ISCO Championship.

It is wonderful to continue to build on this event year after year.

And as you just heard, to have a PGA tour event in Louisville, one of only 35 in the entire world here in Louisville every year, is really special.

These events are so important to our city to help our local businesses, our economy.

They put us in the national spotlight, and I couldn't be more thrilled that Louisville is once again hosting the ISCO championship.

Since the ISCO championship's been coming back when it was in Lexington in Louisville, one point two million dollars of charity has been left in the Commonwealth for charitable causes.

And that's a great thing about the PGA tour is the charitable impact they leave in every city they visit.

Only thirty-five cities in this country that get the honor of doing this, and I'm proud that Louisville is.