801 Grant Ave History from Louisville Historian

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How is The Arts Center Building Used Today? Byjulie Kovash, President, Louisville Cultural Council In present day, the Louisville Center for the Arts is still an important hub for arts and culture in Louisville, and four non-profit arts organizations benefit from its use. The Louisville Art Association (LAA) was founded in 1980, by Carolyn Markham, and uses the Arts Center for meetings, exhibits and programming LAA is comprised of 7 Board Members and over 300 participating and honorary members focused on the advancement of visual arts in the community Exhibits in the Arts Center include the Young Artists Art Show (for ages 4 — 18); The Tactile and Art Challenge Show (touchable art for the visually challenged and art by physically and mentally challenged artists); The National/Regional Juried Photography Show; The National Juried Fine Art Show; The Three Day Labor Day Craft Fair; The Fall Members Show; The Young Artist's Exhibit, which exhibits children's art work from all Louisville schools. More information is available at louisvilleart.org. The Louisville Cultural Council (LCC) was established in 1989 by the City of Louisville to operate as a non- profit arts and humanities organization (originally called the Louisville Arts and Humanities Council). It is a volunteer council of 9 members appointed by the City Council, each member serving a three year term. LCC uses the Arts Center for a wide variety of events. The Coffeehouse Concert Series features both local musicians and national acts. Some featured artists include the Nashville duo the Cantrells, Juno award winner Jayme Stone, and Mary Flower. The Silent Film Series screens films in the Spring and Fall to live piano accompaniment by Louisville gem, Rodney Sauer, of the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra. LCC also programs several participatory dance events and children's concerts in the facility. More information is available at louisvillearts.org. Coal Creek Community Theater (CCCT) was established in 1990, and its 8 executive members insure an arena for the amateur to perform and participate in the theatrical arts. CCCT's philosophy is to concentrate efforts on producing high -quality, full scale productions including favorites such as Shakespeare Incorporated, You Can't Take It With You, The Voice of the Prairie and A Tuna Christmas. More information is available at ccctheater.org. CenterStage Theatre Company (CSTC) is dedicated to extending quality theatre to the Colorado community, especially Boulder. Its 7 Staff Members insure a rich atmosphere that leads young people into excellence in the vast world of theatre arts; thus building confidence, self-esteem, community awareness, and friendships that last a lifetime. Although the Arts Center is not large enough for CSTC productions, it is used extensively as a rehearsal space. More information is available at centerstagetheatre.org. The Arts Center falls under the Louisville Parks and Recreation Department, which manages day-to-day operations, maintenance and scheduling. After the four arts organizations block what they need for program scheduling, it is available for rental by the general public. It is also used for other City sponsored events. Brickwork detail on the Center for the Arts building. Photo taken 2010. Can These Mysteries Be Solved? By Bridget Bacon, Museum Coordinator For all that we know about the history of the brick school house, some questions remain: • What happened to the bell that was in the original bell tower? (The old bell currently at Louisville Elementary came from the Louisville Grade School building at Spruce and Jefferson, not from the brick school house.) • Owen Smith is named in the 1894 Louisville School Board minutes as the contractor for the brick school. There was an Owen Smith living in Louisville at that time and he was in the construction business. Does a family member 5