The Phoenix Hill Neighborhood was considered a ghetto area of Louisville, Kentucky when Ray Schumann began renovating Ursuline Academy and renting shop space by opening the doors of The Cloister. Located at the corner of Shelby and Chestnut Streets in the city’s downtown, The Cloister followed the pattern of the Butchertown section of the town’s Bakery Square complex where busloads of out-of-town visitors enjoyed finding unique gifts and souvenirs to purchase.
Cloister visitors were interested in the ongoing renovation process connected with exposing the brick walls of the Catholic Girls School Academy along with dining in its Chapel Restaurant where waiters dressed as monks.
Because my mother, Louise Link Kernen attended Ursuline Academy in her high school years, I was drawn to establish my first public studio on the third floor of the main building in what was once the bedroom of a nun who had perhaps taught her.
Our Southwest artist group along with The Palette Club and Crit Club formed the non-profit Cloister Community Art Gallery to promote the works of local artists and craftsmen. Ray Schumann provided rent-free space for our organization in a large second-floor room overlooking the spacious courtyard. Across the courtyard, Ed Hamilton and G.C. Cox used the studio space in the area where the Ursaline classes once fired the works of their pottery classes.
The Gallery site was impressive with paintings hanging from chains mounted on molding strips near the ceiling. Browse boxes for wrapped works and pedestals for sculpture broke up the viewing space.
Each month in our Gallery, one artist was selected to hang works on our Featured Artist Wall. A news release was sent out to advertise an opening reception to which the public was invited.
As Gallery Director, I was responsible for creating programs through which our local artists and craftsmen could offer services to benefit the Louisville community. Exploring the world of grant writing brought me into the realm of The Kentucky Arts Council and Sallie Bingham’s Kentucky Foundation For Women.
The Portland Library was the setting for classes for children as well as Clarksdale Housing Project’s classes for them in the basement of The Jefferson Street Chapel. The Jim Cain Center For The Handicapped saw residents creating pottery. At Dosker Manor’s Senior House, oil painters produced many canvases.
With a sledgehammer in hand, lining out the Saint James Court Art Show, I became a helpful assistant when Oscar Stremmel’s knees made it difficult for him to handle the task.
Bob Sacra’s Oxmoor Center crew found the sledgehammer a welcome tool when the Prospect Point Art Show moved out to its country location. Help had been given when the show was at the Prospect Point Shopping Center, so it continued on out the Highway.
Monthly Exhibitions were hung at Louisville’s City Hall, The County Judge’s Office, and Masterson’s Restaurant.
Gallery artists were volunteers for hanging the Fine Arts and Crafts Department’s Exhibition held each year during The Kentucky State Fair. It is the largest art exhibition held in the state. A Reception to honor the winners and judges was annually planned by the Gallery with community donations providing food and drink for the evening when over five hundred artists and their guests attended the festive evening of social and art exchange.
After The Cloister closed its shop doors, our artists and craftsmen, as guests of the City of Louisville, moved to the lower level of Founders Square across the street from the Cathedral of the Assumption. We began a new chapter with lunchtime traffic enjoying our “Jackson Square” version of “Art On The Plaza” and “Poet’s Corner”.Our new name was “Falls City Community Art Gallery”.
We would move again back to Chestnut Street where we would be called, “The Phoenix Hill Art Colony”. Our final residence would be the “Pink House” at 728 E. Chestnut Street where we would be known as “Christmas House”.