Why The New Southern Exposition

The Southern Exposition was a five-year series of world's fairs held in one mega structure approximately 140 years ago, in Louisville, Kentucky, from 1883 to 1887 in the now historic neighborhood of Old Louisville. The building, spanning several blocks, was erected explicitly for the exhibition, in nine months, and was held for 100 days each year on 45 acres immediately south of Central Park, including the St. James-Belgravia Historic District.  In part, the site was selected by developers due to the proximity of the L&N railroad, imagining future growth in manufacturing and large residential settlements.

It was billed as an industrial and mercantile show, where the new marvel of electricity was featured.  A record number of incandescent bulbs were set by Thomas Edison, surpassing the amount of lamps installed in all of New York City at that time.  It also featured a dedicated art gallery and four interior courts filled with botanical gardens.   The exposition was larger than any previous American exhibition, with the exception of the Centennial Exposition held in Philadelphia in 1876.

Much of the regal homes of the current neighborhood were erected from the materials left from the demolition of the massive structure; the neighborhood essentially grew out from the remains of the show.  Yet records don't detail the the builders or methods of construction, which may in part explain why the historic event and structural colossus remain relatively unknown to those living in Louisville and the Southern Exposition's immediate footprint.

The occasion of this growing annual gathering calls upon this spirit of innovation and creativity, while congenially interrogating what it means to be Southern, to be of and in the South, as well as the intent and possibilities of exhibitions and art fairs.

We support craft and High Art, equally, where collaboration is tantamount to production. We hope to include fashion designers, photographers, graphic designers, painters, multimedia artists, authors, poets, chefs, growers and musicians.  Inclusivity would have been foreign to practices at the time of the Expo, which adds to the necessity of “New” in our nomenclature. 

We fancy this experiment as a place to build a different kind of community and help celebrate and support artists and makers that bring richness to our lives in our direct community, as well as those that come here as visitors.  We aim to bring people from all over into Louisville, to feature divergent ideas and reflections, alongside the long-established norms of the St James Art Show.  Seventy years is a feat to be admired, still, it is easily argued that the Show has become commercialized to an extent that no longer invigorates the idea of art making and community collaboration.  While we take no action or slight against the event or it’s organizers, we recognize a missed opportunity to engage our diverse local creative community. 

We welcome all to our little curated renegade art happening, hoping to foster curiosity of artistic exchange, support the experience of interpretation, and offer patronage toward art production.  The New Southern Exposition also reframes our geographic position as a crossroads for inspiration, and we’d be delighted to have you be a part of this remaking.

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