Site + Research students at Kentucky College of Art and Design spent three weeks in Louisville’s Shawnee and Portland neighborhoods, researching the histories of people and places that inform the area’s social landscape. From historically inspired somatic meditations at the former site of Fontaine Ferry to engaged play in the newly built Play Port Playground. Students also conducted archival research at UofL Research libraries and explorations at the Filson Historic Society and online LFPL Archival Databases. In addition to studios visits and oral history interviews with current and former residents, students gained first-hand knowledge of the diverse perspectives and various aspects of these neighborhoods—places defined by complex interconnected systems: including particularities of the land, waterways, politics, peoples, activities, businesses, and historical events.
On opening this course, students were prompted to create a series of impossible monuments inspired by sites around Portland, Shawnee, and archival materials. Some of these works took the form of collage, text and video.
Fragments or Testimonies from research statements:
Looking through archival maps of Fontaine Ferry, it is incredible to me that this whole park is now gone. To me something as grand as an amusement park seems too large and hard to erase. Now all that remains of Fontaine Ferry are fading memories with a handful of pictures to supplement them.
Anaclaire Bliss, fragment of artist statement (2026)
The paper anchor piece I created lists instructions for coming to Portland. To breathe in and feel the space, understand the deep history of racism and segregation, know the bloodshed and pain inflicted on the citizens. The weight of Portland’s history is tenfold the weight of the heaviest ship anchor.
Josefina Melian
SWING AT THE HIPS
UP AND DOWN
LAUGH
AS LOUD AS YOU CANAnaclaire Bliss, Laugh louder (2026)
While I was researching, I came across old pictures of Fontaine Ferry and newer images of the Portland area. Those pictures really inspired me for my first week’s projects. The older images showed what Fontaine Ferry used to look busy, exciting, and full of life but knowing the history behind it made those images feel complicated. Then, seeing more recent photos of Shawnee Park and the Portland area gave me a different kind of motivation. It pushed me to step outside my comfort zone and actually delve into the meaning of this place. That decision helped me connect more deeply with what I was learning.
Shakari Reed
[In this video] interview, I really wanted to juxtapose white memories, provided by Ruth Hendrickson and Becky (Only Rebecca when she’s in trouble) Williams of Fontaine Ferry to modern interpretive African American performance. So, throughout the entirety of the interview, snippets JayVe Montgomery’s Lake Blacktown performance audio is played either in the background or is focused on and paired with the matching video clips. The snippets are blues-inspired vocalizations, lyrics, and a saxophone instrumental accented by mini cymbals wrapped around his ankle and tapped to emulate the sound of shackles and chains.
Malori Bush
Artwork inspired by a newspaper editorial on Fontaine Ferry entitled “No Happy Memories of Fontaine Ferry for Black Students” published 06/07/2004
-Salma Lopez Said