This is the third edition in the St. James Court Art Show
print series "A Sense of Place”. The 2022 giclee fine art print will be
unveiled to the public on September 1st and depicts a success story of
historic preservation, the St. James Court Fountain. The three paintings
in the lower portion of the composition, tell the fountain’s story. The central
painting of one of the cherubic figures on the fountain captures the essence of
historic preservation: guardians of our past, which is preserved for our
future. Originally installed in the late 1800s, the iconic fountain has
a remarkable history, and is the reason the St. James Court Art Show
came into existence. In the mid-1950s, after years and years of
repairs, the fountain was crumbling. The fountain needed a total recasting
in bronze, to assure its permanent place in history, but
the court's association did not have the funds. Malcomb Bird,
founder of the St. James Court Art Show, suggested the association host an
art show to raise the necessary funds. On September 14, 1975, the
recasting of the fountain was unveiled during a reception and
dedication ceremony.
Born and raised in Louisville, KY, Mark D. Bird,
NWS, has enjoyed a professional career of over forty years as a distinguished
architectural illustrator and designer, working with many of the world’s
foremost architects and designers. Additionally, Mr. Bird has produced
commemorative edition artworks for public and private events, businesses,
agencies and a multitude of other clientele. His works hang in private and
corporate collections around the globe. In 2017, he began the next chapter of his
life as a fine artist, focusing on the art of architecture. He travels the
world in search of inspiring, architecturally significant subjects and records
his visions through his skillful style and inherent senses of emotion and
interpretation.