Elmer Lucille Allen facts for kids

Elmer Lucille Allen is an amazing artist and chemist. She was born in Louisville, Kentucky, on August 23, 1931. Her dad and brother were both named Elmer, so her family decided to name her Elmer Lucille too! She was the first African-American chemist at a big company called Brown-Forman in 1966. She graduated from Nazareth College (now Spalding University) in 1953.

Growing Up and Discovering Art

Elmer Lucille grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, during a tough time called the Depression. The city was still segregated back then. This meant Black and white people went to separate schools and lived in separate areas. She once said she didn't go to school with white students until she was in college.

She took her first art class, which was sewing, in seventh grade. Her teacher, Ms. Hattie Figg, taught painting and inspired her a lot. Elmer Lucille learned many useful skills like shoe repair, printing, sewing, and carpentry. She also learned crafts at community centers. Being a Girl Scout also helped her love for art grow.

Elmer Lucille finished Central High School in 1949. At that time, there were not many chances for African-American women. She went to Louisville Municipal College, an all-Black school, from 1949 to 1951. Then she went to Nazareth College, where she was one of only a few Black students. She earned her science degree from Nazareth College in 1953.

In the 1980s, Elmer Lucille Allen became very active in the art scene in Louisville. She helped start the Kentucky Coalition of African American Arts. She was also a founding member of the Arts Council of Louisville.

A Life in Art

Elmer Lucille retired from Brown-Forman in 1997. After that, she spent even more time on her art. Starting in 1981, she studied art at the University of Louisville. She earned her Masters of Creative Arts degree in 2002. She focused on ceramics (making things from clay) and fiber art (like weaving or dyeing).

For her fiber art, Elmer Lucille uses a special Japanese dyeing method called shibori. This technique creates beautiful patterns on fabric.

When talking about her ceramics, Elmer Lucille says, "I make the things that I want." She especially loves making teapots. She likes that if she makes something she doesn't like, she can just start over! Her large platters are often dark and look like molten rock. Her teapots, though, are usually bright and colorful. She knew she was truly an artist when she rented her first art studio in 2005.

In 2004, she was the first person to receive the Kentucky Arts Council Governor's Award in the Arts for Community Arts. In 2019, an artist named Brandon Marshall created a huge mural (a wall painting) celebrating Elmer Lucille Allen's life.

Art Shows and Exhibitions

Elmer Lucille Allen's art has been shown in many places:

• 2010 -- "Absence and Presence: The Art of Elmer Lucille Allen and Valerie White" at E&S Gallery.
• 2011 -- Powering Creativity: Air, Fuel, Heat at the Carnegie Center for Art and History in New Albany, Indiana.
• 2016 -- Women's Artist Exhibition: The African Heritage Experience at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage.
• 2020 -- "African-American Women: Celebrating Diversity in Art" at KORE Gallery, Louisville, Kentucky.
• 2023 -- "Remembrance," an exhibition honoring Lida Gordon by Bette Levy, Elmer Lucille Allen, Denise Furnish, and Melinda Snyder at PYRO, Louisville, Kentucky.

Awards and Recognition

Elmer Lucille Allen has received many awards for her art and community work:

• 1986 – Governor's Award in the Arts (Kentucky)
• 2004 – Kentucky's Community Arts Lifetime Local Achievement Award
• 2004 – Woman of Distinction
• 2007 – "Women of Spunk" from Actors Theatre
• 2011 – Caritas Medal from Spalding University
• 2015 – Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft's Art Advocacy Award
• 2015 – Community Spirit Award given by the University of Louisville College of Arts and Science and the Yearlings Club
• 2016 – Parkland Rising Up Project
• 2016 – Louisville Defender – Lifetime Community Service Recognition Award
• 2016 – Outstanding Community Leader by Metro Council
• 2019 – Louisville Free Public Library’s Pillars of Louisville