Sculptor's 'Lady at the Races' artwork to be featured at Barnstable Brown Derby Eve Gala

Evan Hall and his twin brother Colin are local carpenters who were hired to do a job at arguably the most famous home in Louisville.

"We were like, 'Wow, this is the Barnstable-Brown Derby party house,'" Evan told the Courier Journal. "It's been a cool experience working here."

And an experience with an unexpected benefit.

Everyone in Louisville knows the hillside mansion where the Hall brothers were sent to repair some wood trim. It's owned by Patricia Barnstable-Brown who, for more than 30 years, has hosted a glitzy celebrity charity gala with her sister Priscilla "Cyb" Barnstable on the eve before the Kentucky Derby.

Conde' Nast Magazine has ranked the elegant Barnstable Brown Derby Eve Gala, held in Barnstable-Brown's yellow house, as one of the Top 10 Parties in the World. And for good reason — this party has been attended by Super Bowl Champions like Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Peyton Manning. Olympic gold medalists Michael Phelps, Lindsey Vonn, Bode Miller and Apolo Ohno have also made an appearance. And a lengthy list of movie stars and music legends including Janet Jackson, Harry Connick Jr., Kid Rock and Darius Rucker plus comedian Tracy Morgan, actor Justin Hartley and many more.

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Working in the home where so many famous people have partied was more than just a novel experience for the Hall brothers. During the weeks Evan and Colin repaired wood trim in Barnstable-Brown's personal residence, they got to know the famous party hostess.

"She's really nice, so I decided to offer one of my sculptures for her party this year," Evan told the Courier Journal. "It's called 'Lady at the Races' and it's the only Derby-themed piece I have ever made."

Evan works as a carpenter by day and is a sculptor in his spare time. He owns EVCO Metalworks and said the idea for "Lady at the Races" appeared at the end of a dream.

"It just popped up and then disappeared," he said.

After quickly sketching out what he'd seen in his dream, Evan began work on the sculpture in 2018. His vision transformed into a delicate metal wide-brim Derby hat with binoculars balanced on a long thin pole grasped at the base by a woman's sculpted hand.

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"Lady at the Races" is very different from the sculptor's usual artwork.

"I typically make a lot of jack-o'-lanterns from old propane tanks and dead upside-down flies and mummy hands, so 'Lady at the Races' was kind of different for me," Evan laughed. "I didn't make it to sell, I just needed to make the sculpture after that dream. It has just been sitting, unnoticed in my studio for five years."

But the elegant metal sculpture won't go unnoticed much longer.

After seeing a photograph of "Lady at the Races," Barnstable-Brown agreed with Evan — it would be a lovely piece to display in her home during the annual celebrity gala, held this year on Friday, May 5.

With their carpentry job nearing completion, the brothers lugged Evan's heavy sculpture into the living room where "Lady at the Races" will spend a star-studded Derby Eve inside the yellow mansion on the hill.

"I am just really glad it will be seen by a large group of people, and if it's someone like Jeff Bezos or any of Patricia's other famous guests, well that's just really cool," the carpenter/sculptor said.

Reach features reporter Kirby Adams at kadams@courier-journal.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Barnstable Brown Derby Eve Gala will feature Louisville artist's work