LOUISVILLE, Ky. — One of the big things neighbors surrounding the new Norton West Louisville Hospital told officials they wanted inside the facility was art.
And not just any art you can get from a store, but pieces from local artists who understood the importance of what this campus means to the community.
So when patients, guests and staff step into the hospital, they'll see one-of-a-kind pieces from about a dozen local and national artists with Louisville roots that bring the walls to life.
One of those artists is Braylyn 'Resko' Steward; WHAS11 News had to opportunity to visit his studio as he worked on one of his pieces for the hospital.
For 20 years, Resko's art has been featured in restaurants and food trucks. He's even created murals for Louisville.
But now, one of his pieces will hang in the Norton West Louisville Hospital.
"Its going to be an abstract piece of course," he said. "It's played off a lot the color schemes you will see throughout the hospital.”
In the piece you'll also see kente cloth and geometric designs representing heritage and resiliency.
“I like to kinda freestyle and create as I go,” Resko said about his style. “Its movement, organic shapes along with a lot of rigid forms in there too. The city is so diverse. That whole area is so busy. There's a lot of movement and I want to give that.”
Another artist, west Louisville native Charles Rice, described hanging his piece in the hospital is historic on many levels.
“It's extremely important," he said. "We have never had anything like this. I think it's well needed and its gonna be refreshing to have people in this community come down and have a good place to take care of.”
As Resko held his piece up to the wall to envision where it would hang, you could see that his dream was turning into reality.
“Putting my face to this art it opens up the doors for a lot of people who look like me," he said. "A lot of young kids that look like me. Don't think that scribbling on a notebook and doing some weird painting won’t get you anywhere but it will if you keep at it."
National Black artists with Louisville ties worked with E&S Gallery to get this opportunity to display why representation matters.
"To me, you have people coming into to the West Louisville hospital, you feel like its their space," Rice said. "You can feel comfortable with the professionals that's giving them care. I think its important to see us as we come into places in our communities.”
While having art on the walls of the hospital is special, they understand the 'big picture': legacy, possibility and accessibility.
And when their future grandchildren visit, there will be a sense of pride when they tell the story.
"Wow! When you put it like that, as an artist you want to put the work out, when you put grandkids and stuff that would be really special to me," Rice said. "I would feel honored that they could see their granddad's work.
And Resko couldn't help but to think about family.
“My great grandmother used to live in West Louisville," he said. "Having to trek her across town anytime she had any doctor appointments and it's going to mean a whole lot to know the elderly and everybody in that area will be better served. And its long time coming, and I'm really honored to be a part of it.”
The Norton West Louisville Hospital is the first hospital of its kind, in the heart of the community, for more than 150 years.
►Contact WHAS11’s Sherlene Shanklin at sshanklin@whas11.com or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.