The New Albany Flow Park

The Carnegie Center for Art and History is in a unique position to develop thought-provoking engagements that can leave a lasting impression on our community both now and for the future. The New Albany Public Art Skatepark or New Albany Flow Park is an exciting opportunity that will allow us to positively contribute to the further development of New Albany’s cultural identity and civic pride.

Starting in 2017, we are dedicating our public art energies towards repairing and updating an old, dilapidated skatepark on the New Albany Riverfront into a functioning, ride-able public art installation with new features not seen anywhere else in the region. Skateboarding’s history and culture is a living embodiment of the intersection of art and sport, of creativity and physical activity. The world as seen through the eyes of a skateboarder becomes an exercise of seeing untapped potential in inanimate objects. Providing interactive, inspiring objects for play allows young minds to creatively explore real world geometry and expand brain activity, which in turn builds a deeper understanding of the real world around us.

View of existing New Albany Riverfront Skatepark from top of the flood wall originally built in 1995.

Skateparks inherently are created using interesting three-dimensional shapes and forms, but we want to take this park to a new level. We are looking to create forms that go beyond the standard boxes, wedges, and transitions found in traditional skateparks and utilize more creative objects and obstacles that are as pleasing to the eyes of visitors who will be walking across the top of the floodwall looking down at the park as it is to the children and adults who will be down in the park negotiating the space in person.

A secondary goal of the project is to engage and cultivate a younger demographic (teens to early thirties) of audience members, whose culture and lifestyle we feel this project will resonate with. Of great importance to the Carnegie Center was having direct input and participation by community partners and the skating public. We identified and invited interested people to a stakeholders meeting that involved the City of New Albany, potential funders, Hunger Skateparks, and of course, skaters themselves.  At our "Skate and Create" design workshop (which was held on Saturday, April 29, 2017) skaters gave us their opinions on what would make our park attractive as a skating experience and with Hunger Skateparks' assistance...created a design for a park that is not only visually interesting, but fun and challenging to skate too.

Community stakeholders' meeting with Hunger Skateparks at the Carnegie Center.

"Skate and Create" design workshop at the existing riverfront park led by Hunger Skateparks.

Skaters participating in a design workshop with Hunger Skateparks at New Albany's Riverfront Skatepark.

For the actual construction and design work, we have enlisted the assistance of the firm Hunger Skateparks, based out of Bloomington, Indiana. Hunger has professionally created highly regarded, functional skateparks around the world. Hunger is owned and managed by Bart Smith and Christy Weezer, both are artists in their own right, who are as equally familiar with the creative process of art making as they are with the creation of skateparks.

The ideas that were generated from our workshop were then taken back to Bloomington where Hunger Skateparks created and submitted an overall plan.  Their new design will be revealed to the public at our September 23 riverfront public art event called "#IAmPublicArt".  This will be a family friendly, full evening of music, hands-on art activities, food and drink, and more and will be the occasion where Hunger Skateparks reveals their grand design.  Without giving too much of it away...the design will include color, new challenging forms, and have a river-theme.

A project of this scope takes many hands to stir the pot, and we won’t be able to accomplish it without the help of people in our community in a variety of ways. We are working closely with the City of New Albany, who has given their blessings for us to transform the skatepark that sits on the City’s front lawn. They are also helping us navigate through processes of working with the Army Corps of Engineers and other agencies to get the proper approvals and permits for construction. 

Overall, we are excited about the positive responses we have received from all interested and concerned parties.  We have some synchronicity at work here, because the City of New Albany recently announced that they will be further developing the area near the old skatepark by creating a new boat dock, restaurants, and a camp ground as well.  Our skatepark project will be adding strength to strength and be a source of pride for residents and a focus for increased tourism to our town.  Thank you for letting us tell you a little bit about our skatepark/public art story.  We hope you will consider helping us out with a Give For Good Louisville donation!