It has housed art shows, concerts, offbeat figure-drawing sessions and a prom. Since March, the venue dubbed, simply, The Space at 6th and Oak has been regularly hosting unique events in a first-floor corner commercial space in Old Louisville that stood unused for decades.
"It was a bakery in the 1920s, a tavern in the '60s and '70s, and was last used in 1978," said Jeff Blanchard, 30, a co-owner of the building, which houses apartments and Blanchard's graphic design firm as well as the new performance space.
Since May, the venue has hosted one or two shows a week, and Blanchard has events booked until October. That includes a show by the up-and-coming indie band/performance group Faun Fables set for Aug. 17.
Blanchard shares one of the building's apartments with housemates who have pitched in to turn the big, empty room downstairs into a venue for hip events intended to revitalize the neighborhood and provide a performance space for creative people with good ideas -- something Old Louisville has plenty of, with its large student population.
"A lot of people have great ideas (for events), but not a place to have them," said Rob Major, 29, an artist and housemate of Blanchard's who has been working with him to change that. The two started renovating the space last summer, doing much of the work themselves.
Photographer Megan Metté, 23, a recent graduate of the University of Louisville, helped organize The Space's best-attended event so far, a group art show and concert on May 17.
After hearing about the space from friends, she attended a concert there.
"I just walked in and was like, 'This has to be where I have an art show,' " she said. "It was a nice space and there was a lot of wall space."
It was cheap, too. Soon, Metté and 14 other artists were distributing fliers and organizing the event, which Blanchard estimates drew about 200. (The event didn't go off without a hitch; a noise complaint precipitated a 2 a.m. shutdown.)
"We're definitely avoiding having this become a party space," said Blanchard, who attends neighborhood association meetings with Major in an attempt to keep the peace.
Their ambitions go beyond providing a good time for local artists and hipsters.
Blanchard, who's lived in Old Louisville for about 10 years, is one of three partners in Oak Seed Inc., a development firm that purchased the vacant building in 2004 with the hope of transforming it into vibrant residential and commercial space.
The Rudyard Kipling nightclub/restaurant and the Brick House youth center share the neighborhood with The Space at 6th and Oak. Both, like Blanchard's space, are run by people interested in nurturing local creative culture but have struggled to stay financially afloat in recent years.
Blanchard said he hopes adding another venue to the neighborhood will help bring a critical mass of people to the area that can help support them all.
"We're trying to involve art, dance and music," he said. "I think it's fun to just be receptive and see what happens."
