Louisville Water is Sponsoring a Gallopalooza Horse

You’ve seen those vibrantly-painted horse statues around town. This year you’ll see a new one named WaterWorks, sponsored by Louisville Water. Our horse is part of Gallopalooza, which supports Brightside Foundation and is known as “Louisville’s Sidewalk Derby.” It launched in 2004 and also was held in 2009 and 2015. The 2024 Gallopalooza will feature 150 horse statues to celebrate the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby.

Local artist Rita M Cameron is painting the Louisville Water-sponsored horse. She received a master’s in art from Morehead State University and has created original oil paintings from her Louisville studio since 1995.

“I am thankful for this opportunity to represent the Louisville Water Company and am looking forward to the process of bringing WaterWorks to life,” she said.

In her artist’s statement, Cameron says, “I consider myself a colorist. My work has evolved over the years, from impressionistic landscapes to spatial relationships of shape and color, each piece emphasizing and minimizing one’s perceptions of space and shape through color overlays.”

All the finished Gallopalooza statues will be displayed during a March 21 VIP Preview Party for artists, sponsors, and board members at the Churchill Downs First Turn Club, which also will host a public preview of the statues from March 22 to 24. Then the statues will be delivered to sponsors and displayed throughout the community. Watch this website for reports on Cameron’s progress and the location of the Louisville Water horse.