Several weeks back I put out a call for visual artists who were willing to give us a glimpse inside their workspaces. I wanted to do this project for two reasons. First, I just think it’s really cool to see the different locations and setups that artists have. It’s like peeking behind the curtain where the magic happens. Second, Louisville has so many great artists and I wanted all of us to get to know a few them a bit better.

A hearty thank you goes out to Bryce Hudson for being the first artist to share a little bit about his studio, the neighborhood it is in and how it impacts his work. I’ll be meeting with other artists in the coming weeks so be ready to get to know more of your city’s great artists.

What neighborhood is your studio located in and how long have you been there?
My studio is located in the Portland neighborhood. On the North West side of Louisville – it is one of the oldest parts of the city, called Portland because ships coming down the Ohio would have to dock their ships and portage around the Falls of the Ohio fossil beds. Those fossil beds are actually why Louisville is where it is today – people exploring and moving West would use the Ohio River as a sort of highway – then have to stop because of the Falls. I bought the building and completely renovated it back in 2007.

How does the neighborhood influence your work?
I like the neighborhood a lot. It is an an economically depressed part of town – one of the poorest. Yet, Portland is also one of the most ethnically diverse. Only spotted sections of Louisville’s South end are more diverse. Since diversity and social issues are a heavy theme in my work this helps. I have neighbors who are Cuban, Argentine, Black, White, Mexican, Philippino etc. – also gay and lesbian neighbors. It is in stark contrast with the neighborhood I live in on Louisville’s East side where I do have some gay and lesbian neighbors, but not one of my neighbors within a 3 block radius are anything but White – one Asian couple – but not diverse in its composition by any means.

What are some of the features that make your studio such a great place to work?
The abundance of light, wall space, tall ceilings and lots of storage. The building is an old medical clinic, donated by Mrs. J.B. Speed to the city of Portland in 1930. Because it was common belief that fresh air and sunshine were just as important to good health as a flu shot in those days the space was built with access to light and air in mind. It makes a perfect studio.

What project are you currently focused on and working on in your studio?
I am currently working on a group of medium and large scale paintings. I just had an exhibit in Taipei, Taiwan and in march of 2012 I will exhibit 6 paintings in at a contemporary art gallery in Hong Kong, Hong Kong. So I am hard at work producing and shipping work. Most of my shows are now outside of Louisville.

Where in Louisville (or online) can people see and buy your work?
Whenever I do exhibit work in Louisville I do so at The Green Building Gallery in Louisville’s East market NuLu district. I do not plan to exhibit work there for sometime as most of it is being shipped to Hong Kong. My website www.brycehudson.com is the best place to view all of the work – I post it the second I complete and photograph it. I often get request to make a studio visit and welcome them. It is nice to connect with people interested in viewing the work no matter which series they are interested in I seem to learn something different from each experience.

Thanks again to Bryce Hudson for sharing his studio with us!