Multisensory Art Experience
Designed to be tactile and inclusive with hand-carved tiles of animals, flowers, and landmarks springing up like wildflowers to symbolize the neighborhood’s growth and creativity. This multi-sensory mural is meant to be accessible and experienced by all.
Discover the story behind the art
Art is meant to be experienced, not just witnessed. As you navigate this page, look for the blooming forms and vibrant textures that echo the mural’s tactile tiles. Like a story unfolding in petals, each section draws you deeper into the Clifton multi-sensory art experience, where sound, color, and touch are honored equally.
Learn more about the Multisensory Art Experience
Created by lead artist Liz Richter and with the help of ceramicist Kristen Falkirk, and disability inclusion specialist, Darren Harbour, this tactile mural tells the neighborhood’s story along a winding road that symbolizes the passage of time. Landmark buildings rise like wildflowers, surrounded by botanicals chosen to reflect Clifton’s organic growth and creative spirit.
This monumental multi-sensory mural, the first of its kind in Kentucky, tells the timeline of Frankfort Avenue and its pedestrians. Located at Bank Commons, it celebrates the diversity and creativity of the surrounding community, bringing history and art vividly to life.
Two buffalo graze on green, rolling hills. Yellow and orange sunflowers, an ancient indigenous crop grown in this region, sprout up in the grass. Soft waves of water crest under a wooden bridge over Beargrass Creek. Catfish swim in the swift waters and along the shore, and a man fishes on the creek banks with a spear. Frankfort Avenue began its history as a buffalo trace and the natural path of the indigenous people who called this region home.
Plan your visit to Clifton
Discover the Multisensory Art Experience at Frankfort Avenue and State Street in the heart of Clifton! Take TARC Route 15, walk, or drive, then explore the mural and local shops and eateries.
Start your journey
The Hilltop Theatre is depicted growing out of purple coneflowers with orange centers and lime green leaves, and is glazed in a creamy white. Symbolizing health, coneflowers were included by Richter to represent a hope that the neighborhood’s historic buildings and local businesses would remain vibrant and resilient.
Enhance Your Art Experience
Once you make your way to Clifton Commons, you can enrich your visit by engaging multiple senses: sight, touch, and sound. Trace each tile. Tune in to every detail. This artwork was designed to be felt, seen, and heard. Visit the experience page to listen the full audio tour, read the transcript, and reflect on each section at your own pace.
Delve deeper into the artwork by exploring the artist’s narrative with close-up images of the tiles, uncovering their background and meanings.
Explore the artist’s narrative through our audio tour, narrated by Darren Harbour. Listen to the full experience or select individual sections to explore what interests you most.
Support Accessible Art
With youth art education, professional artist development, and art in public spaces, Louisville Visual Art (LVA) nurtures our city's diverse artists throughout their creative lifecycles. The Clifton Multisensory Art Installation is just one example of LVA’s support of art, artists, and accessibility in Louisville. Consider supporting LVA’s mission and making a donation so we can continue to champion projects like this one.