Elmer Lucille Allen facts for kids

Elmer Lucille Allen (born August 23, 1931, in Louisville, Kentucky) is a talented ceramic artist and a chemist. She graduated from Nazareth College (now Spalding University) in 1953. Both her father and brother were named Elmer, and her family chose to name her Elmer Lucille too. In 1966, she became the first African-American chemist at Brown-Forman, a large company.

Growing Up in Louisville

Elmer Lucille Hammonds was born on August 23, 1931. Her parents were Ophelia Guinn Hammonds and Elmer Hammonds. She grew up in the Depression era in Louisville, Kentucky. At that time, Louisville was a segregated city. This meant that Black and white people were kept separate in many places.

Elmer Lucille shared that she "never went to school with whites" until she was a junior in college. She took her first art class, which was sewing, in seventh grade. This was at Madison Street Junior High School. She said her teacher, Ms. Hattie Figg, who taught painting, was her first artist inspiration.

In junior high, she learned many useful skills. These included shoe repair, printing, sewing, and carpentry. She also learned different crafts at the Plymouth Settlement House and Presbyterian Community Center. Being a Girl Scout also helped her interest in art grow.

She graduated from Central High School in 1949. Back then, African-American women had very few job opportunities. She attended Louisville Municipal College, an all-Black school, from 1949 to 1951. Then she moved to Nazareth College. There, she was one of only a few Black students. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Nazareth College in 1953.

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

A Life of Art and Chemistry

Elmer Lucille Allen retired from Brown-Forman in 1997. After retiring, she spent much more time on her art. She had started studying art at the University of Louisville in 1981. In 2002, she earned her Masters of Creative Arts degree. Her studies focused on ceramics and fiber art.

Her textile work uses a special Japanese dyeing method called shibori. This technique creates beautiful patterns on fabric.

When talking about her ceramic art, Elmer Lucille Allen said, "I make the things that I want." She also mentioned that she has "always liked teapots." She enjoys that if she makes something she doesn't like, she can simply start over. Her platters often look dark and melted. In contrast, her teapots are usually colorful and have bold designs. She felt like a true artist when she rented her first art studio in 2005.

In 2004, she received a special honor. She was the first person to get the Kentucky Arts Council Governor's Award in the Arts for Community Arts. In 2019, an artist named Brandon Marshall created a mural. This large painting celebrated Elmer Lucille Allen's life as part of the Imagine 2020 Mural Festival.

Art Exhibitions

• 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 Honors

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

• 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 from 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