Photos, too: The New Albany Bicentennial Public Art Project kickoff and art walk is Friday, May 21.

The Bicentennial Art Project pieces are in place, and on Friday evening there'll be artists and historians (along with at least one brewer, pinch-hitting for me) at each of the five sites.

The Tribune produced a fine pullout section that went out in today's newspaper, and ran this news story on Friday:

Walk this way New Albany: Art walk to kickoff New Albany Bicentennial Public Art Project, by Daniel Suddeath (Tribune)

Floyd County residents and tourists may have a year to enjoy the five premier installations of the New Albany Bicentennial Public Art Project, but Friday could be their only chance to hear the artists describe their work. The project — which will bring five art pieces to New Albany’s downtown each year until the city’s bicentennial in 2013 — will begin with an art walk from 6 to 9 p.m.

We're told that councilman Steve Price remains opposed to the art project, voting "no" because the monies should have been used as subsidies for rate payers. Meanwhile, today the Tribune editorializes "yes," in favor of art as run-up to the city's birthday in 2013.

TRIBUNE EDITORIAL: Walk provides look into our history

The walk will feature five pieces of art placed around the downtown area, pieces that you may have already noticed. The locations include the New Albanian Bank Street Brewhouse, St. Marks United Church of Christ Garden, River City Winery, Floyd County YMCA and 129 W. Main St. Each work will interpret a different theme from New Albany’s history.

Photos and descriptions below come to us courtesy of the Carnegie Center's press release.

At the New Albany YMCA located at 33 State Street, artist Valerie Sullivan Fuchs will speak about her piece Flood, a large-scale video projection of the Ohio River water that slowly floods the wall of the YMCA building, and she will be joined by Louisville historian Rick Bell, author of the book The Great Flood of 1937: Rising Waters, Soaring Spirits.

Artist J. Daniel Graham will discuss his piece Like String and Cans Through Walls, a blend of cement, metal, and historic images that will age over time, at the St. Marks United Church of Christ Garden at 202 East Spring Street, where he will be joined by Olivia Heinz as she informs participants about early settlement in New Albany.

At 129 West Main Street, across from the site of the former Israel Boarding House building (the Israels were ardent supporters of the Underground Railroad in New Albany), artist Brad White will discuss his work Scars into Stars, a large, steel sculpture that represents White’s interpretation of the theme through literal railroad imagery and abstract forms. New Albany historian Pam Peters, author of the book The Underground Railroad in Floyd County, Indiana, will speak alongside White on the topic of the Underground Railroad in the Indiana and Kentucky borderland.

At the River City Winery located at 319-321 Pearl Street, artist John King will discuss his piece combining auto glass and images of historic individuals and events, Roots Grow Deep, as New Albany historian David Barksdale speaks to participants about the notable history of the glass industry in New Albany.

At the New Albanian Bank Street Brewhouse located at 415 West Bank Street, artist Leticia Bajuyo will discuss her piece Brew History: All Bottled Up, influenced by the classic Lite-Brite toy and made primarily of locally-collected, used beer bottles, and David Pierce, Director of Brewing Operations for the New Albanian Brewing Company, and New Albany historian Ted Fulmore will discuss the history of breweries and taverns in New Albany.

Photos provided by the project organizers; all except the first (artist Valerie Sullivan Fuchs’ rendering) were taken by the Tribune's Kevin McGloshen.