THE SOCIETY FOR THE

ARTS IN LOUISVILLE

BOOK TWO

BOOK TWO VOLUME THREE

THE SOCIETY FOR THE ARTS IN LOUISVILLE

THE CONTENTS

The Chronologie

The Prologue – The Carriage house

Chapter One The Society for The Arts in Louisville

Chapter Two The Arts in Louisville magazine and Gazette

Chapter Three The Arts in Louisville House

Chapter Four The Arts in Louisville actions

Chapter Five The Society for the Arts in America

CHRONOLOGY

1955 Sept. 1 Society for the arts in Louisville incorporated
1955 Aug. 17 Leased three shotgun houses across from 1011 S 5th street
1955 OCT. 1 Arts in Louisville magazine begins publication which continues

Through twenty eight monthly issues concerning the arts through June 1858

1956 Jan. 5 Establishment of arts in Louisville art school
1956 June 1 Publication of an album of eight abstract lithographs by edgard pillet, pilgrim press
1957 April 12 Arts in Louisville arts festival, lemon galleries, 223 E. Broadway
1957 Nov. 1 Leased 519 Zane street building for arts in Louisville house
1957 Dec. 14 Arts in Louisville house opens at 518 Zane street
1958 July 7 A.I.L.H theater opens with Hemingway ‘today is Friday’, and beckett “recorder”

John Seitz, director, arts in Louisville players

1958 Aug. 15 A.I.L.H theater: Camino real, .john billings, director, A.I.L. players
1958 Oct. 6 Gazette of the arts in Louisville, first issued. Continues through
June 1, 1858. Fifteen issues, fort-nightly
1959 April 14 Kai winding trombone septet, thru 4/1 6
1959 July 15 Dizzy Gillespie .jazz quintet thru 7/1 b
1959 Aug. 1 Dizzy Gillespie .jazz quintet thru 8/3
1959 Aug. 5 A.I.L.H theater: psyche’s cafe, .john Seitz , director, A.I.L. players .
1959 Aug. 17 J. J. Johnson quintet, thru 8/18
1960 Feb. 11 Art van damme quintet, thru 2/1 3
1960 Feb. 25 Teddy Wilson trio thru 2/27
1960 Mar. 31 Cannonball Adderley quintet, thru 4/2
1960 April 30 Ramsey Lewis trio, thru 5/2
1960 May 13 Earl Bostic septet
1960 May 19 Josh white, thru 5/21
1960 June 11 Roy eldridge
1960 June 17 Max roach quintet
1960 Oct. 3 Herbie Mann sextet, thru 10/3
1960 Nov. 6 Barbara Carroll trio, thru 11/8
1961 Oct. 14 Don Murray trio, history of .jazz
1961 Oct. 20 Donald Byrd-pepper Adams quintet, thru 10/21
1963 Leo quits. Had enough of Louisville culture, cynic that he was.
1963 Oct. 15 Dukes of Dixieland
1964 Jan. 18 Ramsay Lewis trio
1964 Feb. 28 The ink spots, thru 3/1
1964 Arts in Louisville gives up the ghost courtesy rjthe Jacobson

CHRONOLOGIE – THE SOCIETY- FOR THE ARTS IN LOUISVILLE

1955-1984

1953 Sept. The carriage house gallery and art shop opens
1955 Sept. 1 Society for the arts in Louisville incorporated
1955 Aug. 17 Leased three shotgun houses across from 1011 s 5th street
1955 Oct. 1 Arts in Louisville magazine begins publication which continues
Through twenty eight monthly issues concerning the arts through June 1858
1956 Jan. 5 Establishment of arts in Louisville art school
1956 June 1 Publication of an album of eight abstract lithographs by edgard pillet, pilgrim press
1957 April 12 Arts in Louisville arts festival, lemon galleries, 223 e. Broadway
1957 Nov. 1 Leased 519 Zane street building for arts in Louisville house
1957 Dec. 14 Arts in Louisville house opens at 518 Zane street
1958 July 7 A.I.L.H theater opens with Hemingway ‘today is Friday’, and beckett “recorder”
.John Seitz, director, arts in Louisville players
1958 Aug. 15 A.I.L.H theater: Camino real, .john billings, director, A.I.L. players
1958 Oct. 6 Gazette of the arts in Louisville, first issued. Continues through
June 1, 1858. Fifteen issues, fort-nightly
1959 April 14 Kai winding trombone septet, thru 4/1 6
1959 July 15 Dizzy Gillespie .jazz quintet thru 7/1 b
1959 Aug. 1 Dizzy Gillespie .jazz quintet thru 8/3
1959 Aug. 5 A.I.L.H theater: psyche’s cafe, .john Seitz , director, A.I.L. players .
1959 Aug. 17 J.J.Johnson quintet, thru 8/18
1960 Feb. 11 Art van damme quintet, thru 2/1 3
1960 Feb. 25 Teddy Wilson trio thru 2/27
1960 Mar. 31 Cannonball Adderley quintet, thru 4/2
1960 April 30 Ramsey Lewis trio, thru 5/2
1960 May 13 Earl Bostic septet
1960 May 19 Josh white, thru 5/21
1960 June 11 Roy eldridge
1960 June 17 Max roach quintet
1960 Oct. 3 Herbie Mann sextet, thru 10/3
1960 Nov. 6 Barbara Carroll trio, thru 11/8
1961 Oct. 14 Don Murray trio, history of .jazz
1961 Oct. 20 Donald Byrd-pepper Adams quintet, thru 10/21
1963 Leo quits. Had enough
1963 Oct. 15 Dukes of Dixieland
1964 Jan. 18 Ramsay Lewis trio
1964 Feb. 28 The ink spots, thru 3/1
1964 The society for the arts in Louisville vanishes

THE INDEX – VOLUME THREE BOOK TWO – ARTS IN LOUISVILLE

The contents page of book, two

La chronologie page of book, two

The prologue – the carriage house

The prologue – the carriage house
Page 0 Title pg carriage house
Page 1 The carriage house prologue
Page 2 The carriage house
Page 3 The carriage history
Page 4 The carriage history
Page 5 The art school
Chapter one the society for the arts in Louisville introduction
Page 1 Arts in Louisville promotion
Page 2 Arts in Louisville promotion
Page 3 Louisville magazine report
Page 4 courier-journal report
Page 5 Courier-journal report
Page 6 Chapter member roster
Chapter ,wo the arts in Louisville publications
Page 1 Wrye and Fitzpatrick at linotype
Page 2 Magazine raison d’etre
Page 3 magazine factsheet
Page 4 introduction to articles index
The arts in Louisville magazine article index
Page 1 Article index
Page 2 Article index
Page 3 Article index
The arts in Louisville magazine and gazette
Page 1 Typography
Page 2 Printing process
Page 3 Arts in Louisville magazine covers
Page 4 Arts in Louisville magazine covers
Page 5 Arts in Louisville magazine covers
Page 6 Arts in Louisville magazine covers
Page 7 magazine staff photo
Page 8 The arts in Louisville gazette page
Page 9 The arts in Louisville gazette introduction
Page 10 The advertisement for magazine articles
Page 11 The advertisement. For gazette editorials
Chapter three the arts in Louisville house
Page O Arts in Louisville house drawing
Page A Introduction to arts in Louisville house
Page B Introduction to arts in Louisville house
Page C Courier journal article
Page D Courier journal article
Page E Courier journal article
Page F Arts in Louisville hous descriptions
Page G Arts in Louisville hous descriptions
Page H Arts in Louisville hous descriptions
Page I Arts in Louisville hous descriptions
Page 1 Arts in Louisville map
Page 2 arts in Louisville map
Page 3 Arts in Louisville floor plans
Page 4 Arts in Louisville floor plans
Page 5 Arts in Louisville floor plans
Page 6 Arts in Louisville floor plans
Chapter four the arts in Louisville actions
Page 0 Introduction to arts in Louisville actions
Page 1 The arts in Louisville art school 2pgs
Page 2 The arts in Louisville the are 3 pgs
Page 3 The arts in Louisville art galleries
Page 4 The art litho project 2 pgs
Page 5 The arts in Louisville evidentia 4 pgs
Page 6 The arts in Louisville drink and dine 7 pgs
Page 7 The arts in Louisville integration notes 3 pgs
Chapter five the society for the arts in America
Page 0 Introduction to arts in America effort
Page 1 Prospect
Page 2 Ration al
Page 3 Propos al
Page 4 Experience
Page 5 Experience
Page 6 Structure
Page 7 Membership/ circulation
Page 8 Advertising
Page 9 Computation
Page 10 Editorial
Page 11 Editorial
Chapter six Wrye arts in Louisville retrospectif

CHRONOLOGIE – THE SOCIETY- FOR THE ARTS IN LOUISVlLLE

1955 – 1964

1953 Sept. The carriage house gallery and art shop opens
1955 Sept. 1 Society for the arts in Louisville incorporated
1955 Aug. 17 Leased three shotgun houses across from 1011 S 5th street
1955 Oct. 1 Arts in Louisville magazine begins publication which continues
Through twenty eight monthly issues concerning the arts through June 1858
1956 Jan. 5 Establishment of arts in Louisville art school
1956 June 1 Publication of an album of eight abstract lithographs by edgard pillet, pilgrim press
1957 April 12 Arts in Louisville arts festival, lemon galleries, 223 e. Broadway
1957 Nov. 1 Leased 519 Zane street building for arts in Louisville house
1957 Dec. 14 Arts in Louisville house opens at 518 Zane street
1958 July 7 A.I.L.H theater opens with Hemingway ‘today is Friday’, and beckett “recorder”
.John Seitz, director, arts in Louisville players
1958 Aug. 15 A.I.L.H theater: Camino real, .john billings, director, A.I.L. players
1958 Oct. 6 Gazette of the arts in Louisville, first issued. Continues through
June 1, 1858. Fifteen issues, fort-nightly
1959 April 14 Kai winding trombone septet, thru 4/1 6
1959 July 15 Dizzy Gillespie .jazz quintet thru 7/1 b
1959 Aug. 1 Dizzy Gillespie .jazz quintet thru 8/3
1959 Aug. 5 A.I.L.H theater: psyche’s cafe, .john Seitz , director, A.I.L. players .
1959 Aug. 17 J.J.Johnson quintet, thru 8/18
1960 Feb. 11 Art van damme quintet, thru 2/1 3
1960 Feb. 25 Teddy Wilson trio thru 2/27
1960 Mar. 31 Cannonball Adderley quintet, thru 4/2
1960 April 30 Ramsey Lewis trio, thru 5/2
1960 May 13 Earl Bostic septet
1960 May 19 Josh white, thru 5/21
1960 June 11 Roy eldridge
1960 June 17 Max roach quintet
1960 Oct. 3 Herbie Mann sextet, thru 10/3
1960 Nov. 6 Barbara Carroll trio, thru 11/8
1961 Oct. 14 Don Murray trio, history of .jazz
1961 Oct. 20 Donald Byrd-pepper Adams quintet, thru 10/21
1963 Leo quits. Had enough
1963 Oct. 15 Dukes of Dixieland
1964 Jan. 18 Ramsay Lewis trio
1964 Feb. 28 The ink spots, thru 3/1
1964 The society for the arts in Louisville vanishes

THE CARRIAGE HOUSE

ART GALLERY ART ACADEMY ART MATERIAL EMPORIUM

With that famous last sexually harassing advertisement shown down there on the right, the carriage house sold out and closed its doors. just a few. Jumps ahead of the wrecking ball. The carriage house is saluted here in this introduction to the whole arts in Louisville episode as it was the germinal of the whole arts in Louisville extravaganza.

At number 1011 south fifth street in Louisville was a carriage house built circa 1880 behind one of the many mansions then facing upon fourth street. There were many carriage houses in downtown Louisville, way back then, which served as housing for carriages, stables for horses, and living quarters for servants. Almost all faced on alleys, but not this one particular carriage house.

An ancient road south of Broadway was built before the north south grid system was established. When fifth street was extended south of Broadway it ran into this earlier wryly skewed road which ran off to the south southeast. Rather than destroy the buildings along this more ancient venue, fifth street obligingly bent and followed to the south southeast. This accounts for the shallow depth of the fourth street properties south of Kentucky street, and the fact that this carriage house in discussion faced on a street, not an alley, and thus it was to become famous, too.

THE CARRIAGE HOUSE

The carriage house, which lived on fifth street in Louisville for some eighty-five years just south of Kentucky street, was witness to the Louisville beginnings of Leo Wrye’s scheming plans -many of which were hatched there and bore strange fruit. Besides serving as Wrye’s studio, art gallery, art materials emporium, and print shop, it also afforded thespians space in its lower northern regions for the carriage house players organization. Built of solid brick about eighteen eighty-five, it housed horses and carriages for its fourth street mansion. Due to a quirk early on in street building priorities, fifth street angled toward fourth and created a site which permitted a stable to present its face directly on to a main thoroughfare. Abandoned by Wrye in fifty-seven for the establishment of the arts in Louisville house just around the corner on Zane, it fell into disuse and was summarily demolished by crude and unenlightened individuals soon afterward.

Returning from Paris, after five more impressive years there, Wrye needed to find a place to stash his stuff -accumulated paintings and the such.

Not far from his rented apartment in “old Louisville” he made the fateful stumbling upon of one c. Douglas Ramey, a Pikeville Kentucky escapee, who had come to Louisville to ply his trade as a thespian. This enterprising gentleman had cleared out the carriage side of this old carriage house down there on fifth street, but had left the dirt-floor stable-side in historic preservation.

In the carriage-side, Ramey was producing, with a small band of brilliant young actors, all sorts of drama in his tiny fifty-seat theater-in-the rectangle-theatre – renderings from Elizabethan to Westchester. It was a class act all the way.

As Ramey could use help in coming up with the rather steep monthly rental payments of thirty a month, he gratefully allowed Wrye to share the facilities for twenty per. As Wrye got the upstairs along with the dirt floor stable, too, it was only fair that he pays twice as much as Ramey. That’s business.

To carry this extra financial liability Wrye slyly hit upon a scheming plan. If he were to open a store that sold artists materials, then he would be able to save grossly upon his own material costs, and the savings would then offset his steep rental share. Eureka!

Wrye, in the stable, with some hired help, removed the horse stalls, shovelled out that which the horses had left behind, and a goodly batch beneath that, and had some concrete poured as a more sanitary replacement.

He ordered some paint and brushes and canvas and the like. Built some shelves. Hung out a sign. And opened for business.

Upstairs he cut a hole in the roof and covered it with one big piece of glass and voila! A studio. There was still one large room left.

As there were at the time, 1853, but only two places to see paintings in Louisville – the speed museum, which effectively only was open by appointment – and the W.K. Stewarts book store , on downtown fourth street, which generously sported a small art gallery up a flight of stairs and back through the bookkeeping department to the rear of the store next to the supply room and past the employees’ toilet- it crossed Wrye’s scheming wry mind that an art gallery might use up his expensive unused upstairs space quite nicely.

Wrye hung lights, painted the brick walls and even swept the floor. Voila! Again – Louisville Kentucky’s newest, and now third! art gallery was open.

The commercial history the art store fills up some later space in the lion company’s share of book ten in volume two. The art gallery and art school ought be talked about here in their predecessor roles in the formation of the society for the arts in Louisville. So as they ought – they will.

The art gallery was an immediate miniscule success. Many of Louisville’s very few artists right away welcomed the chance to show their stuff. Many group shows and individual shows were put together back in those days. The art pages of the Sunday courier journal carried news of the carriage house gallery”s triumphs almost every Sunday, as the C.J. Art critic had little else to write about. Sales of the artists’ work was non-inspiring, although it must be suspected that some private non-comission deals were made sub-rosa post-closing. (it is so hoped)

The carriage house gallery did attract some attention in the unburgeoning artists’ community, and did become sort of an unofficial rallying point for rallying around about art things.

Which led to the suggestion by some or several of the local artists that maybe an informal art school in addition to the university’s courses and the long established art center school might not only make some dough re ml for a few artists who would teach art, but could enhance the image of the art emporium and a proposed fledgling arts society.

Wrye came up with andther scheming plan. Playing upon the utter penuriousness of the eisenhower depression populi, Wrye proposed free art classes for one and all. A complete supply of art materials would be required for the four-week course, of course – available only at the carriage house art material shop – of course – for the very reasonable discounted price of ten bucks, with the art professors and school thrown in gratis .

One of Doug Ramey’s budding young actors (mitch Ryan of Hollywood fame) was hired to march up and down the fourth street shopping district blatantly distributing elegant inspiring broadsides to interested passers-by joyfully proclaiming this extraordinary cultural opportunity. (fourth street was then the only shopping mall that Louisville could boast of back in those deep dark ages.)

There were many opportunity seekers out there. Wrye rented three shot-gun houses across the street from the carriage house there along fifth street, converted them each to studio school-houses, and hired eight or ten artists as teachers for a very basic course in the art of oil painting which included in it a system for color mixing which Wrye had developed whilst in france. Hundreds signed up. Many re-enlisted to continue in more advanced courses offered by the small cadre of art teachers on hand. (some of whom parallely also taught at our other art schools in town.)

Realizing that there may be many more culturally starved out there in the great Louisville outback, and that many of these culturally starved out there might be hungering for not only the plastic arts of painting and sculpture, but the lesser

Forms – music, literature, poetry, ballet, opera, theatre, and the like – Wrye and his co-conspirators, the artists, began to form notions, while fervently discussing over weak and strong drink, a grandiose scheme of collaboration, some sort of rally-crying publication was bruited about for and by the several arts.

Wrye would purchase foundry type, a linotype machine, a printing press, and would set up a complete print composition shop to facilitate and execute the publication of this ambitious scatter-brained project. But then, Wrye dug printing. He had actually already had some experience with simpler forms of information disemination systems in the military, and was fascinated by the layout and design of the art publication art o’aujourd’hui as accomplished by his partner edgard pillet whilst in post-war Paris.

It was still only nineteen fifty-five.

Wrye as but thirty-one.

Note: the carriage house art school was a mildly enough successful operation that the management of carriage house operations, Wrye hisself, approved the transformation of its name into the arts in Louisville school of art under the direction of the director of the burgeoning society for the arts in Louisville – actually Wrye hisself also. He and it operated under that august designation henceforth.

THE CARRIAGE HOUSE SUMMERTIME ART SCHOOL

A REPRINT OF THE RATHER AMBITIOUS CARRIAGE HOUSE

ART SCHOOL SUMMERTIME PROGRAM OF NINETEEN FIFTY-FIVE

Basic drawing

Thursday evening 8:00-10:30 pm.

Instructor Mr. Harold Thurman

Tuition-$21.50 June 9-July 28

A class that will acquaint the beginning artist with fundamental problems of drawing. Treating perspective, drawing from the model, and rendering of three dimensional form. Various drawing techniques will be explored, -pencil, crayon, charcoal, pen, brush and ink.

Life drawing

Friday evening 8:00-10:30 p.m.

Tuition-$12.00 June 10 July 29

This is a class fashioned after the French “croquis.” an opportunity for the experienced artist to concentrate on his drawing of the human figure. Class without instruction.

Fundamentals of oil painting

Tuesday mornings 9:30-12:00 noon

Tuesday evenings 8:00-10:30 p.m.

Instriuctor Mr. Leo Wrye

Tuition-$12.00 June 14-august 2

An introductory course, designed for the absolute beginner, stressing tools, color theory and color mixing and oil painting techniques. Acquaints the beginning painter with his tools and gives him an artist’s vocabulary with which to work. Foundation material for all further work in oil painting.

Beginning oil painting

Wednesday evening 8:00 10:30 p.m.

Instructor. Mr., joseph Fitzpatrick

Tuition–$18.00 June 8-July 27

Individual and group instruction for beginning painters of some previous experience, class will work through the basic problems of picture making such as two and three dimensional compositions, color selection and color relationships in special statement as well as concentrations on various techniques of paint application and surface development. A class that gives the beginning artist the necessary foundation for the creation of well-constructed paintings.

Intermediate oil painting

Thursday evening 8:00 10-30 p.m.

Instructor Mr. Joseph Fitzpatrick

Tuition-$18.00 June 9-jolly 28

For the painter of some experience who wishes to work on personal projects with the assistance of an instructor. Color and painting techniques appropriate to individual picture problems and their solution will be of primary importance in this class.

Landscape painting for beginners

Thursday morning 9:30-12:00 noon

Instructor Mr. Joseph Fitzpatrick

Tuition-$18.00 June 9-July 28

A class for beginning painters who wish to work with a group out of doors in locations that will afford both interest for picture making and material presenting problems in composition and color that will serve as areas of concentration in the learning process.

Open studio

Monday-through-Friday afternoons

Instructor Mr., Harold Thurman

Tuition-$12.00 June 6-July 29

Arranged for students who wish to have constructive criticism and direction as well as a place to work, but who are capable of working on individual projects.

Critanalysis group

Tuesday evening 8:00 10:30 p.m.

Instructors -staff

Tuition-$3.00 June 14, 28, July 12, 26

This class has been created for those painters who are unable to attend a regular class of instruction but do value helpful analysis, criticism, and discussion of their work done independent of a class. Group criticism is a valuable learning process, each artist benefitting from the other artists’ experience, as well as discussion of his of his own work. All members of the teaching staff will participate in the four meetings of this summer series.

Sculpture, beginning and intermediate

Wednesday evening 8:00-10 p.m.

Instructor Mr. Barney bright

Tuition-$18.00 June 8-July 27

A class desiqeno to acquaint the beginning sculptor with the

Fundamentals of the art: three dimensional compositions and

Aesthetic modeling sculpting and casting techniques and processes. The beginning student will concentrate on portrait modelling in clay, while more advanced students may arrange individual work.

Sculpture, teen age class

Thursday evening 8:00-10 pm.

Instructor Mr. Barney bright

Tuition-$18.00 June 9-July 28

A class for teen-age artists in sculpture. Through the medium

Of portrait modeling in clay, the class will teach the principles of composition in three dimensional form, and various sculpture techniques. For the student with some experience special projects may be arranged.

Landscape painting, teen-age class

Monday and Wednesday mornings

Instructor Mr. Joseph Fitzpatrick

Tuition $18.00 for b classes $32.00 for 16 classes June 6-July 27

This is a class for young students with special emphasis on problems of design and composition, and the development of individual style. Students will work from nature under supervision of the instructor. Watercolor, tempera, and oil.

Painting outdoors

Saturday morning 9:30 -12:00 noon

Instructor Mr. Harold Thurman

Tuition–$18.00 June 11-July 30

Class will meet outdoors within the city at locations of pictorial interest with particular attention to the selection and development of painting in landscape. All media.

Painting workshop

Friday evening 6:00-10:30 p.m.

Instructor Mr. Harold Thurman

Tuition-$18.00 June 10-July 29

For students of previous training, students will work individually with the medium of their choice on personal projectsunder close supervision of the instructor.

Painting of flowers

Friday morning 9-30-12:00 noon

Instructor Mr. Maurice Robertson

Tuition-$18.00 June 10-July 29

For those painters who wish to develop their ability in the specialized field of the painting of flowers. Study in composition and design in flower arrangement for painting, sketching, and drawing and the techniques of rendering in watercolor and oil.

Studio space will be provioedat the carriage house in case of inclement weather.

VOLUME THREE BOOK TWO CHAPTER ONE

ARTS IN LOUISVILLE

What

A society for the arts in Louisville

A magazine of the arts in Louisville

A working organization created to

Co-ordinate the individual efforts being made

In each of the arts into a single

Unified force to build a richer

More mature life for Louisville

A live and vital city is a city of people actively interested in

The arts and sensitive to the importance of the arts in a society.

Louisville is witnessing a growth of interest and participation in

The fine arts unequaled in its past. Louisville is growing up.

Why

To co-ordinate this growth toward maturity, to add strength to

The movement, to create collective impetus, a society for the

Arts in Louisville is formed. Through group effort and

Cooperation rather than unconnected action, the arts will

Reach a new level of eminence in Louisville.

Through “arts in Louisville”, a monthly magazine of the arts

Designed and written by Louisville’s most capable artists,

Writers and critics. The editorial perspective is informational,

Factual and educational. Its contents will include a complete

Calendar of coming events, articles of interest in art, architecture,

cinema, dance, drama, literature, music, townscape, and

Graphic design, as well as a children’s section, profiles

Of personalities on the Louisville art scene, plus many

How

Additional features, departments, and articles, all written in a

Thoroughly readable manner, intelligently conceived, and

Beautifully designed.

Through the society for the arts in Louisville, an organization of

People interested in the arts, interested in the stimulation of

Their growth in Louisville through the support of existing art

Groups and the sponsorship of new events and activities in the

Arts that will further promote participation of the artists and

Public alike in the cultural life of our city

Among those actively participating in the formation of the society

And the creation of the magazine are joseph Fitzpatrick, Sidney

Harth, Harold Thurman, Morton Joys, Nancy Marshall, bill habich

Who

Kermit downs, C Douglas Ramey, louis Frederick, Ruth seifart,

Grady clay, and Leo Zimmerman. This a group of young, energetic

Louisvillians, artists and enthusiasts for the arts, who will

Work to build the arts more firmly into the life of Louisville

INTRODUCTION – THE SOCIETY FOR THE ARTS IN LOUISVILLE

CITY’S ECONOMIC, CULTURAL GROWTH SPEARHEADED BY LOCAL ARTISTS

Because of such growing interest in Louisville’s cultural progress, a group of young artists recently founded the society for the arts in Louisville.

In conjunction with a number of local commercial establishments, this non-profit organization provides a number of discounts con records, books, theater and concert tickets) for approximately boo members. It’s main function, however, is publication of arts in Louisville magazine.

Arts in Louisville is designed to provide a forum for an exchange of Ideas on various phases of art; it also further aims to make art more intelligible and meaningful to the “uninitiated.” to achieve these goals, the editors have assembled a staff which writes on subjects such as painting, music, cinema, literature. Theater, television and architecture.

Although arts in Louisville is directed mainly toward this community. It has aroused considerable interest outside Kentucky, because no other city has a magazine of such scale and scope and because its editorial staff includes some nationally-known names.

For instance, the townscape column is written by Grady clay, courier-journal building and real estate editor. Mr. Clay has been a Louisville newspaper man for a number of years and has contributed articles to national magazines. He is vice-president of the national association of real estate editors and is the local correspondent for the New York times, architectural forum and house and home. From 1948-49, Mr. Clay attended Harvard university as a nieman fellow specializing in urban geography, planning and allied matters.

The music section of arts in Louisville is edited by Sidney harth, concert master and assistant conductor of the Louisville orchestra. Harth is also associate professor at the university of Louisville school of music.

Leo Wrye is the magazine’s director of publications and its art editor, is an active painter. Joseph Fitzpatrick is the magazine’s chief editor. He has worked on views magazine and as editor of the French arts magazine Janis and 10. He is also a practicing artist.

– Betty Bennett Louisville magazine may 20, 1956

Artists Leo Wrye. Left. Director of publication. And editor-in-chief joseph Fitzpatrick prepare another issue of arts in Louisville for the printer. Magazine is just completing its first season.

ARTS IN LOUISVILLE NEWS CUP

PAINTER LEO WRYE SPARKS MOVEMENT TD SYNTHESIZE THE ARTS

What is needed among the several movements of Louisville’s current arts renaissance is cross-pollination, thinks painter Leo Wrye.

To prove his point, Wrye has gone on a 16-hour-a-day work schedule. As the man behind the city’s new organization to “synthesize the arts.” he believes he’s already watching the cross-pollination take place.

Wrye, at 30, talks about art as energetically as he paints boldly colored abstract canvases. “you were bitten by an Indian,” once remarked an artist friend, looking at his work.

“but getting this thing started, I haven’t painted in two months,” he said. The society for the arts in Louisville is tapping his creative resources right now.

The society will introduce non-artists to cultural activities in Louisville, says Wrye. It’s also a “sort of an artists’ co-operative” which will keep the city’s painters, musicians, sculptors, architects, theater folk posted on what’s happening in all fields of art. And it will be an ‘artists’ anonymous,” if one should need help.

“there’s another facet to this thing, too,” he said. “members will get reductions on tickets to concerts, plays, exhibits. They’ll be able to buy records and reproductions of paintings at 25 per cent off. We’re working on a price reduction for FM radios.”

The society was chartered a month ago. The first issue of its monthly publication, arts in Louisville, will appear October first. The editors are Louisvillians who are professional artists or art enthusiasts.

” I am the publisher and also art editor.” said Wrye. “louis Frederick, a design consultant is the graphic design editor. Joseph Fitzpatrick, a graduate art student at the university of Louisville, is editor-in-chief. He sets the pitch. Morton Joyes, a bookstore owner is books editor. We haven’t decided yet who’ll be ideas editor.” Wrye is the director of the carriage house art gallery, at 1011 s. Fifth street, where the society has its offices.

THE SOCIETY FDR THE ARTS IN LOUISVILLE CHARTER MEMBERSHIP ROSTER DECEMBER, NINETEEN FIFTY-SEVEN

Here printed on these three pages is the charter membership list for the society for the arts in Louisville as of December 1955. By actual count – made much more difficult by all those married people. The body-count comes out to four hundred and twenty-four bodies.

These fine people were the nucleus of the germ-cell which within two years had germinated into a group of almost three grand. Later joiners had the added inducement of cheap booze at the famous arts in Louisville house on Zane street, about which read in this volume three, if you please.

“The ideas page will be something tying the arts to personalities. It’ll be written by psychologists, philosophers, sociologists,” he said.

Each month arts in Louisville will carry a complete calendar of art, music, dances, and theater events scheduled here in Louisville. A special adviser for the magazine, will be painter-sculptor edgard pillet of Paris, France, who joined the staff of the university of Louisville art department this month. Pillet is the former secretary-general of the magazine art D’aujourd’hui, a monthly synthesis of the arts published in Paris.

Wrye, who spent five years painting in Paris, met pillet there.

Marie graves is helping with the society, too. She’s keeping track of members and typing for the magazine. From Lexington, she’s a graduate of the university of Louisville with a major in art history.

The cover designed by art teacher Harold Thurman for the first arts in Louisville magazine will repeat the title in line after line of bold type across front of the magazine.

Checks for the society’s five dollar yearly dues are arriving on Wrye’s desk every day, he says. “‘ne already have hundreds of members without any prompting at all. There’s a real arts renaissance going on in Louisville. If we can give it a little extra punch and a sort of centripetal force to pull things together.

. But we’re not trying to create a city of artists here. It’s for the general public, too. Others have done so much already. We aren’t competing with any established organization. We want to promote all the arts. That’s done for soap, cornflakes, and beer, why not art? Of course art shouldn’t need any promotion, but, it does.”

-sara lansdell