Long known for fast ponies and bourbon, Louisville has a lesser known but still foundational reputation as a town of thriving creative energy. From affordable housing and a civic commitment to a vibrant local scene, Louisville’s attachment to the arts is bringing some expatriates home and with them resourceful transplants from other cities. The owners of Calliope Arts (324 E. College St.), a new printmaking workspace and gallery, are such a couple. Susanna Crum was an expat, having lived in New York and Iowa; she met Rodolfo “Rudy” Salgado while at school in Iowa, and then returned to Louisville to explore their shared dreams in the local cultural environment.
It wasn’t Crum, however, that brought them back to town. “I grew up here and then I went to school elsewhere. Rudy’s from Southern California. He takes the credit for…”
Salgado interjects, “bringing us to Louisville, and it’s because I think Louisville and this region is nostalgic for historic things. Like we’re one of the only towns that has a municipal run steamboat. I think this city is more in touch or more interested in this antiquated technology that we offer.”
“Rudy had been thinking about starting a printmaking studio,” Crum continues. “It’s tough in the school setting because when you introduce printmaking it will be tough for them [students] to keep doing it. There are places like Calliope all over the country that allow access to artists to keep making prints. Louisville didn’t have one yet.”
Smoketown Becomes Home
When asked about why they chose the Smoketown neighborhood to locate their business, Salgado says he feels their location chose them. His eyes swell with tears as he recounts how he and Crum chose their home.
“I think that Smoketown picked us. We spent over a year—I think I’m going to cry about it—we spent over a year looking for a building. We moved here in August 2013. We met the landlords of this place, and it was just the most feasible place where we could rent; to live and also have a business.”
The Louisville Visual Arts Association helped launch Calliope as a living/work space. Helping to set meetings with the right people and maneuver the complicated live/work legalese.
Crum adds, “Making a double investment as residents and business owners, I think, is really important.”
A Gym for Printmaking
“We kind of operate like a gym where people pay for a membership to come and use the facilities,” Salgado says. “We’re always looking for members.”
The studio is well-lit, filled with neatly arranged workspaces and machinery. The wash station runs the length of the middle studio room and is filled with liquids from vegetable oil to soy sauce. All have a purpose in the printmaking process. Artists who work in the space have access to three etching machines, a lithography press and screen printing facilities.
“Artists who work here get a flat file and a locker and we provide black ink,” Crum shares.
In addition to workspace, Calliope offers classes. In fact, if an untrained artist wants to use the studio space, taking one of the foundation courses is a requirement.
“So far we’ve offered six-week classes in relief, talio and monotype,” says Crum.
Salgado adds, “A collograph class will be coming in the future, as well as a screen printing class.”
Calliope Arts celebrated their official opening on October 10, including a ribbon cutting by Crum and Salgado along with the Speed Museum Director Miranda Lash. Both Crum and Salgado have been doing work with the Local Speed.
Expanding the Art Scene
Crum is the head of the Printmaking Department at Indiana University Southeast (IUS), and Salgado teaches as an adjunct with multiple schools including IUS and Kentucky School of Art where he is developing a printmaking curriculum.
Even though Crum and Salgado are new additions to the city, they’ve built a strong community. However, they do see areas in the local arts where Louisville could branch out and improve.
Salgado waxes on the idea of space, from everything to pop-up art shows to events. “I think the city could make it easier to be more successful, especially with all of the vacant space and the buildings.”
Crum agrees, “If there was some kind of way to mobilize or make more exhibition space just on a short time basis for artists to engage with—there are a ton of artists making installation-based art.”
Calliope Arts is trying to do their part. Besides the workspace, and classes, they are offering Artist-In-Residence opportunities with printmakers from around the country. This often includes artists creating works or displaying works in the gallery.
“It’s important for the local artists who work here to be in a space surrounded by inspiring artworks from artists not just in Louisville. There is more of a circulation and exposure to what other people are doing. It’s definitely important for the artists that we show for their work to be in the space,” says Crum.
They hope this will soon include another Louisville expatriate, Gary Kaulitz, who sat at the helm of printmaking with the much-lauded Louisville School of Visual Arts from 1968 until 1982. In January, he is returning to Louisville to visit old friends. While here he will host a workshop.
Salgado is excited. “I assisted him with a print workshop. A couple of weeks ago he sent us an email, and he’s going to come here and do a workshop while he’s visiting.”
Crum and Salgado’s commitment to art as practice and as education is apparent. Through Calliope Arts that dedication should net good things for these—local—entrepreneurs.
