Barney Bright
Encyclopedia
Jeptha Barnard Bright, Jr (July 8, 1927 - July 23, 1997), better known as Barney Bright, born in Shelby County, Kentucky
and was a sculptor from Louisville, Kentucky
is best known for his work on the Louisville Clock
.
on July 8, 1927. He would excel in school projects growing up.
Barney Bright had his own sculpting business called the Bright Foundry in which other prominent sculptors Ed Hamilton
who he worked with in 1973 thru 1978 and Raymond Graf was mentored by him. During the 1950s Bright would be commissioned to do several sculptures near fountains for various buildings. Several of these were made in bronze
.
Barney Bright would begin construction on the well known Louisville Clock
in 1974, a year after the initial project was intended to be completed. The location was to be placed at the River City Mall (now known as Fourth Street Live!
) but the developers easily became absent minded about the original intentions until former Louisville mayor Wilson W. Wyatt
mentioned it to local leaders in 1973. They then interviewed numerous artists to do the job and eventually selected Bright. After the original concept was scaled back considerably to conform to the budgeting Bright would work on building the clock and have it dedicated in front of 3,000 people on December 3, 1976.
Other notable works accomplished by Barney Bright would be the River Horse Romano in front of the Mazzoli Federal Building’s entrance, and the Winged Man, Icarus. You can see his Floating Nudes in front of the Legal Arts Building in Louisville as well as sculptures in Cave Hill Cemetery. He was also commissioned by the City of Philadelphis to create the statue of Julius Erving.
Prior to Bright's death in 1997 he would release a book titled Barney Bright: A Fifty Year Celebration which was 36 pages about his sculpting.
After retirement, the Brights would spend a portion of their year in Louisville and a portion in Europe. Barney Bright would die at the age of 70 on July 23, 1997 from Lung cancer
. He is buried in Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville.
Shelby County, Kentucky
Shelby County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2010, the population was 42,074. Its name is in honor of Isaac Shelby, the first Governor of Kentucky. Its county seat is Shelbyville...
and was a sculptor from Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
is best known for his work on the Louisville Clock
Louisville Clock
The Louisville Clock is a high ornamental clock once located on Fourth Street in Louisville, Kentucky. It was designed in the appearance like a gigantic wind-up toy, incorporating themes of Kentucky culture, especially the Kentucky Derby horse race. Eight ornamental columns support an elevated...
.
Biography
Bright was born in Shelbyville, KentuckyShelbyville, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 10,085 people, 3,822 households, and 2,549 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,333.5 people per square mile . There were 4,117 housing units at an average density of 544.4 per square mile...
on July 8, 1927. He would excel in school projects growing up.
Barney Bright had his own sculpting business called the Bright Foundry in which other prominent sculptors Ed Hamilton
Ed Hamilton
Edward Norton Hamilton, Jr. is an American sculptor living in Louisville, Kentucky, who specializes in public art. His most famous work is The Spirit of Freedom, a memorial to black Civil War veterans, that stands in Washington, DC, in the Shaw neighborhood near Howard University. Hamilton has...
who he worked with in 1973 thru 1978 and Raymond Graf was mentored by him. During the 1950s Bright would be commissioned to do several sculptures near fountains for various buildings. Several of these were made in bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
.
Barney Bright would begin construction on the well known Louisville Clock
Louisville Clock
The Louisville Clock is a high ornamental clock once located on Fourth Street in Louisville, Kentucky. It was designed in the appearance like a gigantic wind-up toy, incorporating themes of Kentucky culture, especially the Kentucky Derby horse race. Eight ornamental columns support an elevated...
in 1974, a year after the initial project was intended to be completed. The location was to be placed at the River City Mall (now known as Fourth Street Live!
Fourth Street Live!
Fourth Street Live! is a entertainment and retail complex located on 4th Street, between Liberty and Muhammad Ali Boulevard, in Downtown Louisville, Kentucky. It is owned and was developed by the Cordish Company; it was designed by Louisville architects, Bravura Corporation...
) but the developers easily became absent minded about the original intentions until former Louisville mayor Wilson W. Wyatt
Wilson W. Wyatt
Wilson Watkins Wyatt served as Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1941 to 1945 and as Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky from 1959 to 1963. He was a member of the Democratic Party....
mentioned it to local leaders in 1973. They then interviewed numerous artists to do the job and eventually selected Bright. After the original concept was scaled back considerably to conform to the budgeting Bright would work on building the clock and have it dedicated in front of 3,000 people on December 3, 1976.
Other notable works accomplished by Barney Bright would be the River Horse Romano in front of the Mazzoli Federal Building’s entrance, and the Winged Man, Icarus. You can see his Floating Nudes in front of the Legal Arts Building in Louisville as well as sculptures in Cave Hill Cemetery. He was also commissioned by the City of Philadelphis to create the statue of Julius Erving.
Prior to Bright's death in 1997 he would release a book titled Barney Bright: A Fifty Year Celebration which was 36 pages about his sculpting.
After retirement, the Brights would spend a portion of their year in Louisville and a portion in Europe. Barney Bright would die at the age of 70 on July 23, 1997 from Lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
. He is buried in Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville.
See also
- UntitledUntitled (Jeffersonville)Untitled, is a public artwork by American artist Barney Bright, located at the Jeffersonville Township Public Library in Jeffersonville, Indiana, United States. Untitled was originally surveyed as part of the Smithsonian's Save Outdoor Sculpture! survey in 1993...
, a sculpture by Bright located in Jeffersonville, Indiana.