Coming up on Kentucky Life... We'll give you an unbelievable perspective of Cumberland Falls.

Join us as we paddle right up to the base of this amazing waterfall.

We'll check out the next level public art in Covington, Kentucky, helping to unite the community and even drive economic development.

A combination glassblowing studio and speakeasy in Lexington literally is a hot ticket.

And we'll visit the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame.

All that's next on Kentucky Life.

█ █ █ █ Hey, everybody, and welcome to Kentucky Life.

I'm your host, Chip Polston.

This is, without a doubt, one of the most incredible views you will find in the entire state, Cumberland Falls.

It's dubbed the Niagara of the South.

The falls has 3,600 cubic feet of water spilling across it every second.

And if you happen to be here when the skies are clear and there's a full moon, this is one of only two places on the entire planet where you can see a moonbow.

Now, we're going to hit the water here for a great adventure in just a little bit.

But first, what do an alien, Colonel Sanders, and graffiti all have in common?

They're part of the vibrant public art scene in Covington, Kentucky.

From internationally recognized muralist to local street artist, this Northern Kentucky river town has become a national model for the power of what's called creative placemaking.

And if you haven't visited Covington lately, you don't know what you're missing.

█ █ █ █ Covington, Kentucky, a sleepy river town in the shadow of Cincinnati, or how about the best kept secret in public art since the Trojan Horse.

From internationally recognized murals to a friendly 30-foot alien, to a floodwall graffiti park, Covington's public art scene is out of this world.

We have this amazing historic architecture.

We have these beautiful murals on top of some of these buildings.

It's something that gives us a sense of identity and a sense of community pride.

As you travel around and look at the different murals and installations and sculptures here in Covington, you'll find it's a little funky and maybe left of center.

This is a place where people can express themselves in many, many different ways, be that through murals, street art, sculpture, you name it, and we've got it.

[laughs] It seems like public art is everywhere in Covington, and that's not by chance.

A combination of civic leaders and local artists have embraced the concept of creative placemaking.

Creative placemaking is simple in its description.

It's taking a physical space in making art one of the identifiers of the area.

When you see an art installation, whether it's a mural, whether it's something done with lighting, you know that people are paying attention to that environment and there are eyes on that place.

And eyes on a place make a place safe.

One of the first public art installations I did was to install these six chandeliers in an underpass.

So I got a grant to put some art in an underpass and also elevate the lighting.

If chandeliers are good for a dingy underpass, how about a muffler shop?

Once the ball is rolling, it really picks up speed, and one of the major effects of public art is economic development.

The impact of public art on economic development is kind of misunderstood, but should not be underestimated.

As creatives, we love living here because we live in a community that supports the arts, and it's going to attract more creatives.

It's going to attract more entrepreneurs, more business.

Jobs follow people now as opposed to in the past when people followed jobs.

So they want to go where the talent is.

And if we can attract that talent, then we can attract those jobs.

In addition to attracting jobs, public art can have a dramatic impact on tourism.

An amazing example of this is BLINK, the largest light and public art festival in the country.

So BLINK started in 2017 right here in the Cincinnati region, attracting almost two million people, and the economic impact is over 126 million in the last BLINK.

High-profile public art is nothing new to Covington.

The London police created this magnificent work at the corner of 4th and Scott Streets, and the Brooklyn collective known as FAILE is responsible for an amazing triptych that has become a centerpiece of downtown.

We also have local artists who are in the same gallery, if you will.

We have a two-story alien, three-dimensional alien, hanging out of a parking garage, and we have a stained glass bench that represents all 19 neighborhoods of the City of Covington.

And then, there's Scribble Park, a graffiti park on the flood wall that's becoming a hotspot for Covington's up-and-coming artists.

It's a unique gallery that welcomes everyone.

These are folks that may never get an opportunity to be exhibited at the Cincinnati Art Museum, but we're giving them an opportunity, and it's great for the public too, because when they come down, it's constantly changing.

What hasn't changed is the incredible creativity of Covington's public art.

When Kentucky artist Jonathan Queen created the Shogun Sanders mural on a local store, he followed a unique process.

Before painting, he built a three-dimensional version of the hilarious mash-up.

I spent weeks building this because it was really important for me that it had a really strong dimensional presence.

And one of my favorite things about creating murals is that it's out in the public.

And it's in people's lives.

You're putting something in the pathway of somebody's commute.

Just like when you're in an art museum, you're taking something in.

You take a pause.

And I think as modern humans, we don't take pause enough to appreciate beauty around us.

And so it just sort of helps you put your shoulders down and take in, you know, what is important in life.

It's really rewarding when a stranger walks up and says, "I pass this every day on my way to work," and it just brightens my day.

Even if somebody doesn't know I did the mural, I just like the idea that a mural is public and that it's always available.

I feel like I'm home in a community with public art.

I feel like I am in a place that accepts who I am and accepts who my creative friends are.

And that's a beautiful thing.

I mean, artists can be misfits and wildly creative, and quirky, but Covington is that also.

We're creative and quirky.

And we have great ideas coming out of this city.

The overlook here at Cumberland Falls is undoubtedly one of the grandest views in all the Commonwealth.

The only way you could get a better view than this would be to get in the water.

Now, not too long ago, I had the chance to be part of an adventure that was literally unlike anything I'd ever experienced.

Imagine getting in a raft and then paddling to within feet of where the falls come crashing down right there.

So buckle up and let's go.

Iconic Cumberland Falls, the crown jewel of Kentucky's state parks, its peaceful tranquility inspires visitors from all over the world.

People are just absolutely blown away the first time that they visit because it's so tranquil and beautiful.

It's very relaxing, and it's really kind of getting back to rugged roots type nature.

You know, we're in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in southeast Kentucky and there's really just no place more beautiful.

And amidst all these relaxing vibes, you'll find thrilling whitewater action.

It's one of the most exhilarating experiences we offer here on the park, primarily because the falls is 125 feet in width and drops over 60 feet.

And so, as you come up to the base of the falls, the spray, the rainbow that you can see is just an exhilarating adventure.

For somebody like me, I haven't done this in 30 years.

What am I in for?

What should I expect today?

So you should expect to get wet.

[laughs] All right.

It all starts here at Sheltowee Trace Adventure Resort, where you'll get geared up for a ride on the river.

So we have the rapids that are going to be up to class three.

Those are the possibilities where you may accidentally fall out.

And then, we have the pools that will be going through, and those are a nice, calm section.

You can get out and swim if you want to.

Really enjoy the scenery because it's beautiful.

We got about three, three and a half hours where we're just all together on the raft.

We got about a dozen or so rapids.

And so we'll go down the river.

We got to talk, get to know each other.

We'll get to see a lot of the cool wildlife.

And I feel like you're going to have a connection with nature.

That's my biggest thing.

That's probably my favorite thing about the river.

A short bus trip delivers you to the launch point.

This is gonna be a lot of fun.

There's no turning back now.

A truly surreal experience awaits at the base of the falls.

Paddle, paddle, paddle.

A staggering 3,600 cubic feet of water spills over its sandstone edge every second.

[cheering] It's believed the falls originated at the Pottsville Escarpment near Burnside and retreated nearly 45 miles upstream, carving out the Cumberland River gorge along the way The area was inhabited by Native Americans as far back as 10,000 years ago.

[cheering] Oh, man, that is incredible.

Next, you're on your way downstream into the heart of the Daniel Boone National Forest.

Oh, there's a snake right there.

You guys see it on that rock?

Yeah.

There's a snake.

Hey, there's a snake up here on this rock.

There's snake.

Snake.

Snake on the rock.

[screaming and cheering] All right.

Here we go.

Hold on to your paddle.

[cheering] Guys, be ready to paddle with me, okay?

Okay.

Let's go hard forward, hard forward.

Hard forward.

[screaming] Paddle, paddle, paddle, paddle, paddle.

[screaming and laughing] Riverside attractions abound, including jump rock.

Or in my case, just rock.

You want to do it?

I want to see you do it again.

[laughing] I mean, it's so far down.

You're not helping me.

You're not helping the case in here, Lyle.

Fine.

Good job.

[applauds] You can do it!

All right.

I can't.

[laughs] I was ready to go.

I was feeling the forward momentum, and then I'm just like, "No, you can't do this."

Yeah, I'm not feeling this.

[laughs] [water splashing] Good.

So the entire trip isn't an adrenaline rush.

You also get some time to float downstream.

And we also encountered some wildlife on our trip like this bald eagle.

Soak up the views until you reach lake level where your ride awaits.

Climb aboard the Cumberland Star for a scenic river cruise before heading home.

You as well, man.

Thank you so much.

Good day.

Truly a one of a kind Kentucky experience here at the Niagara of the South, Cumberland Falls State Resort Park.

Where can you find a glass blowing studio, an art gallery, and a speakeasy all under the same roof?

Look no further than Trifecta in Lexington, the brainchild of artist Travis Adams.

It's literally a hot ticket where you can learn the art of glass blowing, as well.

I was born December 30, 1991, born and bred in Shelbyville, Kentucky, and on a little farm there outside of town.

Early on, they introduced me to a couple that had a daycare school, essentially, Joey and Dorothy Burks, and he was kind of my introduction into the arts.

When he was little, he drawed all the time, colored or drawed all the time.

So we kind of knew then that he was into the art.

When he started down at center, his degree was financial economics.

When he got down to his last semester of his senior year, he needed a fill-in.

So he got into the class with Steven Powell I like to say glass saved who I wanted to be, if that makes sense.

So here I am.

When he said the hardest sale was to sell my mom and dad on, on, I'm gonna be an artist for good.

Gonna give the financial up.

I thought, oh, a starving artist is what we have on our hands right here.

And I didn't know what else to say besides, "You have heard of starving artists, haven't you, Travis?"

And he said, "Yes, mom, but that's what I want to do."

That's where the name Trifecta.

You've got this speakeasy lounge, which one of my business partners designed.

He kind of conceptualized that aesthetic for us, the studio, which is behind me, and then the gallery out front where we showcase artists from all over the country, including, you know, Steve Powell.

We're very fortunate to have him in our gallery.

We realized when we came to Trifecta for the first time that was the first time I had seen him blow glass from start to finish.

We had never seen him do one whole piece before.

So when I came here, I was up close and personal with it, and I was amazed.

The great thing about glass is you have to respond to the material in the moment.

And I think that's one of the biggest draws for me to the material is the sheer focus and captivating nature that glassblowing has.

You have to know where your heats are.

You have to know where your timing is.

Your assistant has to be on, and you have to be in lockstep or, you know, the piece, you know, kind of doesn't turn out.

And we have that happen, [laughs], of course, but that to me is the process that you're witnessing.

You're trusting each other throughout the process and trusting that what you know and the experience that you've had together is going to translate into the piece and what you're trying to accomplish with the finished product.

If you think of like a story, it's kind of like the buildup of the plot and the characters and that kind of stuff.

And then, all of a sudden, you know, it reaches a very kind of heightened climax where there are things that happen so fast and there are movements that happen that once you reach that peak, it either happens right or it doesn't happen at all.

What you need to do is watch a piece when he starts it and when he finishes and say, "Oh, that's the piece I want."

There was such a performative aspect to the process of glass that I realized somehow if I could capture that, then maybe people would have a better appreciation for the object in the end.

What's great about it is this material has captured kind of all of the aspects that I have loved in my life and loved about life and put it into one form, and that is the ultimate.

And it gives me pride just to sit and watch him do his dance, I guess, with the glass.

It's a lot of fun and we think, oh - we have more pride than anybody can imagine with it.

I think glass found me in a way and through that I found the love for it, you know, and I probably take too much pleasure in what I do.

[laughs] I mean, I am here.

I work way too much, but it's because I know how much this has opened up my life and my understanding of life and my place and my expression in this world, our shared community.

That in itself has given me, you know, this great pleasure and satisfaction for making the leap into not only just glass but into the arts.

Kentucky is a state with a rich sports history.

From the fastest two minutes in sports at Churchill Downs to college basketball rivalries, and even the world-famous Louisville Slugger baseball bat made right here in the bluegrass.

Our sports traditions run deep.

In fact, Kentucky has sent many NFL players to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

But did you know we have our own Pro Football Hall of Fame right here in Kentucky?

The organization celebrates former players that were born, played in, or resided in the state.

We went to the 2024 induction ceremony that honored the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame's five newest members.

Let's meet them now.

[singing] █ █ █ █ Well, Kentucky is the only state in the United States to have their own Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame.

I played 11 years pro football.

I was a first-team All-Pro twice.

I played defensive back, really never, ever thought that I would play Pro Football.

You know, every time I ran into a Kentucky kid in the NFL, they were always great football players.

But historically, people in NFL doesn't think Kentucky played very good football.

And I think that stemmed from the fact that the State of Kentucky kind of contributes to that notion that we only play basketball, our football players are not very good.

And it's a very, very special evening, to say the least.

And we're happy to have each and every one of you here tonight to celebrate some great athletes who had great careers.

We've been doing this for 22 years.

And this is going to be our 23rd year.

We go through an extensive selection process.

We have a 10-person committee that basically work two years out.

Everybody associated with the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame has to be somehow born in Kentucky or played at one of the universities.

You also have to play at least five years in the National Football League.

If you are inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame, you are automatically in our Hall of Fame.

This Hall of Fame, particular to the State of Kentucky, I had no idea that this thing existed.

And so when I did get the phone call, it was a huge honor, huge honor.

These jackets are phenomenal, royalty, the purple.

And it makes a statement, you know.

When we go to different places and we come in with these purple jackets, everybody's looking around like, "Who are they?"

When you look at the roster of those who have been inducted, it is just really remarkable, the people who are connected to pro football through this state.

People really don't realize how much talent is here in Kentucky.

I mean, there's tons of talent.

The type of talent that comes out of the State of Kentucky, people that's affiliated with the State of Kentucky, and I think they're kind of shocked about it.

The greatest quarterback to ever play is Johnny Unitas.

That's a University of Louisville quarterback.

When you think about Paul Hornung, the Golden Boy from Louisville, went on to play and have an outstanding career with the Packers.

Phil Simms, from the City of Louisville, played for Morehead State.

Dermontti Dawson, of course, has a purple jacket.

But on top of that, he has a gold jacket.

Let's go through the guys that are going to be inducted this year.

Harry Douglas, one of the greatest wide receivers to ever play for the University of Louisville.

Harry Douglas had a fantastic career at Louisville and is in front of the public now on ESPN.

I want to tell all you all in the crowd today, never have anyone question you as a human being.

Do everything to the best of your abilities.

No matter how small or minute it is, little things turn into big things.

Then there's Maurice Douglass.

Maurice Douglass is a defensive back.

He was my teammate at Kentucky.

I think he's a great player.

He played several years with the Bears.

I'm thankful today to the Hall of Fame for accepting me and putting me in the Hall of Fame, because you guys are the only one that are out there in the NFL, out of all the states that are out here.

Jack Doyle, who played at Western, that's his connection.

He's from Indianapolis, went back to play for the Colts in his hometown.

I have such fond memories of Kentucky in my time spent here, you know, I met my wife Casie at Western Kentucky.

So it's always special whenever we get to come back.

Luke Stocker is from Central Kentucky, went to Tennessee.

He played almost 12 years in the NFL as a blocking tight end.

A kid from Berea, Kentucky, doesn't play Division I football, let alone professional football.

I was in uncharted territory, and I aspire that my story and my career will hopefully give hope to the next kid that they have a path to follow.

Fred Lee Davis was born in Louisville, Kentucky.

Well, he turned out to be one of the greatest football players.

He played for the Chicago Bears, and really, it's amazing that he's not in the NFL Hall of Fame.

We're all pro football players, and everybody should be proud of the contribution that the kids from the State of Kentucky have made to the greatest game in the history of mankind.

And we got 106 Hall of Famers that have made a difference in the NFL.

It's an important role that the State of Kentucky has played in this great game that we all love, and Kentucky kids were there at the forefront to make it what it is.

We've had a great time here today at Cumberland Falls State Resort Park.

And as you saw a little earlier in our show, the adventures you can have here really are something else.

Thanks for coming along.

Now, if you've enjoyed our show, be sure to like the Kentucky Life Facebook page or subscribe to the KET YouTube channel for more of what we like to call Kentucky Life Extras, where you'll have access to lots of other great videos.

Until next time, I'll leave you with this moment.

I'm Chip Polston, cherishing this Kentucky life.

[water splashing] █ █ █ █