Local news- Press Release
Louisville Public Library Colorado - Pioneer Award 2024 Announced 06 February 2024 ( news )
Louisville Public Library , state Colorado ( By Press Release office)
Feb 06,2024
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This last Wednesday , January 31 , Historical Museum Advisory Board Chair John Honan was pleased to award the 2024 Louisville Pioneer Award at the annual Chamber of Commerce Awards Dinner .
Louisville would not be the community that it is today if there had not been individuals stepping up as leaders to make it a better place for others . Since 1985 , the City of Louisville’s Historical Museum Advisory Board has annually given the Pioneer Award to people in recognition of their contributions , in spirit and time , in promoting the interests and future of the City of Louisville through his/her or their personal service to the community and its residents .
This year’s recipient of the Pioneer Award is Louisville’s own sign painter Ed Helmstead . You might not know Ed but if you have ever been to downtown Louisville you know his work . Ed’s signs can be found up and down Main and Front Streets and throughout Louisville , enhancing the special feeling of the downtown area . Check out , for example , the Moxie signs , the front and side of the Louisville Historical Museum or the multitude of signs at the corner of Pine and Front Street . And , don’t miss his most recent work , the sign on the Grain Elevator downtown .
Ed was born in Brooklyn and grew up in New Jersey . He says didn’t particularly like art in high school although he managed to win first prize in his school’s art show with what he now says was a hurried - up piece of work . While Ed never had any formal art training and insists he is not an artist , art is perhaps the best word to describe the unique skills he bring to his efforts .
While we all appreciate the results of Ed’s work , we may not pay attention to the special character of his signs that encourage us to enter local businesses and point the way to Main Street . Using both old time techniques and more modern technology , Ed works to create original signs that both grab our attention and convey within 2 - 3 seconds the nature of the subject business . To accomplish that , Ed likes to stick to plain lettering that pops , sometimes with a colorful background . Other techniques include wood carving , gold leaf and frosted crystal . Sometimes the signs are on the side of the building or hanging in the air; other times an A - frame serves to pique our interest and point us in the right direction . Ed’s original signs are denoted by a small “Eddidit” signature with the date of the sign following .
And while his original signs might be the most interesting , Ed has also painted a variety of corporate logos such as the Coca Cola sign on the side of the Louisville Historical Museum . As an aside , it should be noted that Ed’s skills are not limited to signs; he is also known for putting logos on the side of race cars and painting old locomotives , including several at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden .
In short , Ed’s signs have contributed to the character of the downtown Louisville area for which we can all be thankful .
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