Lexington’s Legacy Trail now features 61 flags or ‘blazes’ designed by local artists. The blazes are part of the Legacy Trail Public Art Master Plan. They hang in clusters of three to five at 15 locations along the trail. Jim Eichner is one of more than a dozen artists who participated in the project. “I grew up on horse farms, and that was the theme of my design,” explained Eichner. “You might notice when you look at the flags, the cupolas flying and the fences in the forefront."
The Legacy Trail currently runs about eight miles from the Northside YMCA to the Kentucky Horse Park. The blazes are the second phase of the Legacy Trail Public Art Master Plan. The first stage involved local artists painting on the surface of the trail.
Keith Lovan with the city’s engineering division says a new section of trail is planned this year in the Kentucky Horse Park. He says two other sections are on the agenda for 2016. “We are going to do the connection between Coolavin, West Sixth and the Y,” said Lovan. “That’s gonna be constructed next year. And then we’re gonna do the downtown section that goes from Jefferson Street over to the Issac Murphy at Third and Midland.”
Additional sections scheduled for completion by the end of next year are expected to bring the total trail length to a little more than 12 miles. The Blue Grass Community Foundation raised private funds for the blazes. ?
