Thanks to the evolving vision of the creative community that now inhabits it, an old Lexington warehouse with a long tradition of both arts and industry has been given a new purpose. Located near the corner of North Limestone and Loudon Avenue, the historic building — which once served as both a hemp factory and a jazz nightclub — has been transformed into a contemporary event space, art studios and gallery, known collectively as LuigART Studios.
Owners Michael Satterly, Marco Logsdon, and Casey Mather have created a welcoming space that showcases their commitment to community, creativity and adaptive reuse, in everything from architectural elements to decor.
A portion of the historic Luigart Studios building dates back to 1850, when a two-story structure was built on the foundation of another building previously destroyed by fire. This building housed “the first steam-powered hemp factory in the United States,” Satterly explained. It was purchased in the late 19th century by Lexington business owner Joseph Luigart, who operated the Luigart & Harting Malt Mill in the space for many years, supplying malt for brewers.
Building owners Michael Satterly, Marco Logsdon and Casey Mathers have helped craft a space that prioritizes community, creativity and adaptive reuse. Below: Artist John Lackey moved his studio into LuigART in July 2021. Photo by Emily Giancarlo
But according to Satterly, the building’s “most interesting incarnation” was Dixieland Gardens, an African-American jazz club in the 1930s. Featuring a barbershop upstairs and a hotel called the Star Hotel up front, Dixieland Gardens – which counted jazz luminaries Count Basie and Ella Fitzgerald among the many performers who played there – closed in 1944, and the building housed a number of other businesses after that, including a sign company. The Luigart family owned the building until selling it in the 1980s, at which time it had already fallen into disrepair.
When Satterly and Logsdon purchased the building in 2017, they didn’t have a clear idea of what they were going to do with the space. (Mather joined the partnership in 2021.) Logsdon, a visual artist who creates hand-cut collages and paintings out of oil and tar, knew he wanted to have his own studio there. But it wasn’t until another local artist borrowed the large open space on the second floor for an installation that the current vision became clear.
“Our friend, [University of Kentucky art professor] Rachel Moser, needed a place to set up a large installation. The place was full of materials and broken items, so we just pushed it all back [to the walls], and I attached 12-foot panels of drywall to the joists to hide it,” said Satterly. “That is when I realized those spaces behind the drywall could be studios.”
Writer and artist Laverne Zabielski became one of the first artists to move into LuigART Studios five years ago. She had just moved from the country into a smaller house in town, a downsizing that had left her with less studio and storage space for her art.
Writer and artist Laverne Zabielski primarily works in textiles, creating “wearable art.” She helps coordinate monthly poetry and music events at the LuigART Studio space. Photo by Emily Giancarlo
“As soon as I heard Michael and Marco talking about these studios, I immediately knew I wanted one,” she said.
Zabielski, who makes wearable art, needed space for dyeing Shibori silks, felting and sewing, as well as for displaying her work. She also wanted enough space for a large table to host writing workshops and classes in art and bookmaking.
“Michael and Marco are great to work with – they know how to feed your creative side and are very responsive,” Zabielski said. “I mentioned I wanted to host poetry readings, and Michael offered to build a stage for them.”
Today, Zabielski helps coordinate monthly salon-style events that are open to the public, called Cafe LuigART. Featuring poetry readings and live music, the events are one of the many ways that the space fosters a sense of community and creativity.
“Everyone here gets along well, and it’s nice to have other artists around,” Zabielski said.
Artist and art teacher Michelle Armstrong said her studio, which she moved into in 2019, was a lifeline during the pandemic.
“I was Zooming art classes, and sometimes I came in here to Zoom instead of staying in my house,” Armstrong said. “I feel like it saved me, in a sense. It saved my sanity to have a different space to go to that was a safe space.”
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Artist and teacher Michelle Armstrong moved her studio into LuigART in 2019. She works in a variety of media, including paint, metal and paper quilling. She says the studio became her “lifeline” during the pandemic. Photo by Emily Giancarlo
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Artist John Lackey moved his studio into LuigART in July 2021. Photo by Emily Giancarlo
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Artist Diane Kahlo works in different mediums, often utilizing objects in her art that would otherwise be discarded or end up in the landfill. Photo by Emily Giancarlo
A multimedia artist whose work includes painting, collage, paper quilling and metal work, Armstrong was inspired to move in by her in-laws, artists Steve Armstrong and Diane Kahlo, who both have their own studios at LuigART Studios.
“I feel privileged because I have great respect for the artists around me, and it is exciting to get to work with all these people, including my in-laws,” she said.
The space currently has 11 studios in use, and four more nearing completion. The partners also have plans to add six more studios as part of a basement renovation, and they already have a waiting list of artists ready to move in. Each studio is outfitted with reclaimed materials and special creative touches, and no two studios are alike.
“We have really been fortunate that so many talented people have come to us, wanting to be a part of it,” Satterly said.
The second-floor studios surround a large and open event space, which can be arranged for a variety of event types and sizes.
“You can rent the space, and whatever gallery show is on the walls can stay up or come down,” Satterly explained. "We want it to be a flexible space, but the idea that something creative is going on, to me, adds to it.”
The space is also designed to be affordable, with discounts provided for arts organizations.
“We also want this to be a down-to-earth space that can be used by the community,” Satterly said.
One of the most unique perks of hosting an event at Luigart Studios is access to the array of vintage furniture and decor that Satterly has collected over the years: Antique tables, couches and chairs typically adorn the space, “but if someone wants all white tables and chairs, we have that, too,” he said.
While the partners expect to have their final renovations to the event space completed sometime this spring, the space has hosted already events for the Lexington Philharmonic, Hindman Settlement School and the School for the Creative and Performing Arts (SCAPA), with plans in the works for a 10-day installation by fiber artists and UK professor Crystal Gregory.
Future plans for the building include enhancements that will make it even more sought-after by artists and event hosts, including a commissary kitchen, a woodworking shop, a community darkroom where photographers can rent time with the equipment, and even a welding shop.
Satterly also plans to keep building new features with recycled materials, such as a TV wall made from vintage television sets, or a water feature using old faucets and shower heads. Reusing and recycling materials is important to all of the partners.
“You see so many interesting things that are just going to the landfill,” said Logsdon. “It’s about reclaiming materials.”
While the studio, gallery and event space is typically adorned with vintage furnishings and art from its resident artists, it’s designed to be flexible and adaptable for a variety of event types. Photo by Emily Giancarlo