Contemporary Art in a Historic Space

The Loudoun House is the Lexington Art League's historic home. Throughout the years we have converted it's fantastic rooms into gallery spaces. Though much of the space has been renovated we are dedicated to keeping the essence of the house, which is a work of art itself.

Our preservation of the Loudoun House is only possible through continued monthly and annual support of our members. Become a member to help us maintain and exhibit work in this fantastic space.

The History

The Loudoun House is on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of only five remaining castellated Gothic Revival villas left in the United States designed by New York architect A. J. Davis. Built in 1850 for Francis Key Hunt, cousin of Francis Scott Key, who wrote the U.S. national anthem and the 10th child of John Hunt, one of the first millionaire's west of the Appalachians.

​The Loudoun House is now owned by the city of Lexington and has been the Lexington Art League's administrative and curatorial home since 1984. ​

 Article: Details of the History of Loudoun
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Snadon, Patrick A. (1989) "Loudoun: Two New York Architects and a Gothic Revival Villa in Antebellum Kentucky," The Kentucky Review: Vol. 9: No. 3, Article 4.
Available at: http://uknowledge.uky.edu/kentucky-review/vol9/iss3/4

Galleries at the Loudoun House

Lillian Boyer Gallery

Zygmunt Gierlach Gallery
Lillian Boyer was an accomplished artist and art activist in Lexington. She was an award-winning painter, sculptor and printmaker and was known for creating beautiful handmade paper for use in her designs. One of the Lexington Art League's founding members, she served as president of the organization on several occasions between 1977 and 1985. Boyer was a driving force behind the Woodland Art Fair, which she chaired from 1977-1980, and worked as an art instructor at the University of Kentucky from 1976-2002, retiring at the age of 86. She remained an active member of the organization until her death on Aug. 12, 2003, at the age of 87. 
Zygmunt S. Gierlach was a well-known Lexington doctor who specialized in radiology and an esteemed supporter of the Lexington Art League. In the 1960s, when the Art League was in its infancy, he offered his professional offices to the organization. The space used for meetings and was the site of several exhibitions, including an outdoor art fair that is now the highly reputed American Founders Bank Woodland Art Fair, an annual event that draws crowds of more than 60,000.

Neil Sulier Gallery

Miriam Woolfolk Gallery
Neil Sulier began creating watercolor and mixed media paintings in 1979 almost on a whim. The experience with art was in contrast to his day-to-day work in insurance, and when Sulier retired from Sulier Insurance, he opened an event photography business. During his time as president of the Lexington Art League, he helped the organization establish a dedicated gallery space in Woodhill Shopping Center and oversaw the hiring of the organization's first staff person. A memorial service was held at the Loudoun House in honor of Neil Sulier after his death in July, 2017. 
Miriam L. Woolfolk is an artist and poet and is one of the founding members of the Lexington Art League. Under Woolfolk's leadership and propelled by her infectious enthusiasm for the arts, the Lexington Art League was incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1976. Woolfolk has been an active member of the organization since the 1960s and most recently exhibited work as part of Recycling Matters in 2007. She continues to write poetry and completed a short memoir Perspectives: Some of My Early Lexington Art League Memories in 2007. She is also known for watercolor landscapes and miniatures.