COVINGTON, Ky. — Eight finalist works of art have been picked for consideration to grace Covington's Central Riverfront project at the former IRS site.
The eight finalists were whittled down from 25 submissions sent earlier this summer, after being considered by a panel of local art experts, Covington stakeholders and residents.
Now it's the community's turn to give input on which installation is best for the space.
According to an announcement from the city, physical models, printed images and digital displays of the eight final choices will be showcased to the public from September 15 through the 18 at the Hellman Creative Center between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
There will also be an after-hours showing on September 18 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., for those who want to check it out after work.
"Community input is a key part of the selection process," reads the city's announcement. "Visitors will be able to review each proposal and leave comments directly for the artists in on-site comment books."
On Tuesday, September 30, the community can also hear directly from the artists behind the designs. Each finalist will present their work and explain the inspiration behind it at an event at The Carnegie at 6:30 p.m.
Each presentation will also include why the artist believes their piece would serve as "a landmark contribution" to the Central Riverfront neighborhood. Following the presentation, which is limited to five minutes, there will also be time for audience questions and comments.
You can check out more on the eight finalists and the artists behind them here.
"We are very pleased with the range and diversity of submissions that we received," said Matt Distel, executive director of The Carnegie, in a press release. "You'll see a broad range of interpretations of the themes represented in the finalists, which include both locally and nationally known artists and a range of experiences from people who have completed other landmark pieces to artists submitting their first piece of public art."
Once the winner is picked, installation of the art is expected to begin in the spring, as weather permits.
The competition was coordinated by The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center, The Center for Great Neighborhoods, ArtsWave and the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile Jr. Foundation.
As part of the original submission process, artists were encouraged to use artifacts in their work that were salvaged from the former IRS complex that once stood there. Those items included metal letters, signs, clocks, guard rails and the cornerstone of the building.
Artists were also encouraged to highlight the history of the site before the IRS facility opened in 1967, or the larger overall history of Covington.
The installation will anchor the 23-acre site, now called the Covington Central Riverfront neighborhood. When done, the new neighborhood will feature a restored street grid, office space, housing, retail and public gathering spaces.
The IRS' Covington offices, which spanned Fourth to Third streets and Johnson Street to Madison Avenue, comprised a major job hub for Northern Kentucky's largest city for decade. But in 2016, the federal agency announced it would be closing the site due to technological obsolescence.
The city acquired the 23-acre site in 2020 nearly a year after the IRS vacated its staff from the facility.
Crews broke ground on the new Central Riverfront development in April 2024.
You can view the latest renderings of the project and learn more here.
