Logan Street Sanctuary, Inc.
Logan Street Sanctuary, Inc. is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) not-for-profit cultural arts organization, run by a small band of dedicated people ~ perhaps some would call us dreamers, but we work hard to fulfill our LSS mission!
Our Mission
Logan Street Sanctuary, Inc.’s mission is to promote a greater awareness of and encouragement for Creative Arts in Hamilton County and beyond; to provide music, literature, and arts education, events, and exhibitions, which meet the interests of the community in general, and to encourage music, literature, and art by all in the community by providing exhibits, events, and venue space for exhibits, events, and educational classes and workshops. Logan Street Sanctuary, Inc. hopes to establish high aesthetic standards and to cooperate with, and promote membership in, other similar organizations.
Our Story
A Note from Logan Street Sanctuary, Inc.’s first President:
In 2013, I began looking for a place to teach guitar lessons and have a recording studio. This old church in the historic district of downtown Noblesville was a rundown mess, BUT it had church pews and a stage area. A little about the building: it was not built in Noblesville, and its origins, despite research, are still a bit mysterious. We do know it was originally built as a WWI Army barracks in Ohio and was donated to the Christ Lutheran Church after the war. They disassembled it and transported it to Noblesville and dedicated it in Noblesville in April of 1938. I bought it in April 2013, 75 years later. I began remodeling (extensively, and still ongoing). About this time, my hometown of Noblesville began creating an arts and culture district, so, for once in my life, my timing was really good. With the help of City Hall, Nickel Plate Arts, Noblesville Main Street, The Noblesville Preservation Alliance, and local artists, musicians, neighbors and friends, I turned this humble little old church into “Logan Street Sanctuary” ~ a “Sanctuary” for artists of all kinds: painters, potters, poets, spoken word, singer/songwriters, etc. As a songwriter myself, I have a special affinity for singer/songwriters, and LSS proudly features the best local and traveling songwriters. Support for the musicians who come through LSS has always been from public donations at the door. For a few years, I worked on building LSS’ reputation as an intimate concert venue and, of course, continued to invest in the building’s repairs and renovations. There’ve been a few folks who’ve been supporters from the beginning, and I’m grateful to them. Those early years going it almost completely alone were tough, though. In November 2015, friend and local artist-writer Alys Caviness-Gober turned LSS into an all-volunteer 501(3)(c) not-for-profit cultural arts organization. Our original LSS Board was a small-but-dedicated band of five people who were committed to the success of LSS. Alys’ efforts over the past couple years to diversify the programs and events at LSS, apply for grants, grow the LSS Board (we are now a small band of eight!), and seek patrons and sponsors has helped this historic little place maintain its promise: to be a sanctuary for artists of all kinds and be a vital part of the Noblesville Arts and Cultural district.
~ John Gilmore
First President, LSS, Inc. .
Donations & Support
Logan Street Sanctuary, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, and there are several ways to support LSS, Inc. See our Donations & Support page for payment option details. Annual Supporting Memberships sustain LSS, Inc.’s ongoing renovations, events, and commitment to being a viable part of Noblesville’s booming arts and culture efforts. Donations are tax deductible under IRC Section 170, and can be made at any time, in any amount, and may be repeated. Bequests, devises, transfers, and gifts are tax deductible under IRC Section 2055, 2106, or 2522, and can be made at any time, in any amount.
Please contact LSS via email if you and/or your company are interested in supporting our mission to provide our community with a unique arts venue. Renovations to this old building are ongoing, and we are actively seeking funds to create parking in the back, add more stage lighting, and put on a new roof.
What We Offer
Logan Street Sanctuary offers regularly scheduled singer-songwriter concerts, art, drama, and literature events, including the annual NICE (Noblesville Interdisciplinary Creativity Expo) and Page & Stage Theatre Co.’s Summer Workshop. We also publish the annual The Polk Street Review anthology, and host The Vagina Monologues (annual fundraiser for Prevail, Inc.). We make little, if any, money from our events. Throughout the year, we host creative workshops for minimal fees, and we offer LSS as a rental space at reasonable rates, but our events themselves are typically free to the public. At all events, we put out a glass bowl for LSS donations to “help keep the lights on”. At our concert events, we ask $15 donations at “the door” ~ $10 goes directly to the performers, and $5 donation goes directly to support LSS.
Our Space:
Our main space upstairs seats up to 65, with a stage for concerts, art & literature presentations, small weddings, and other events. LSS is an excellent listening environment for “listening room” style performances. Primary seating is in newly re-upholstered and padded church pews. Unlike bars and restaurants, we do not (and never will have) TVs hanging on the walls. We serve light refreshments, and we encourage polite listening for the performers’ and the audience’s sake. Downstairs we have a public meeting/workshop room and full kitchen. We also have a private artist studio space available for rent.
Our Art Gallery:
We are very proud to be an art gallery hanging some of the best local art in the area; contact Alys at loganstreetsanctuary@gmail.com if you are interested in renting gallery wall space in our main area upstairs and the stairwell.
Renting LSS:
We have a baby grand piano for lessons and recitals, and our space can be rented for other types of presentations, performances, music and/or vocal lessons and recitals, small weddings, receptions, and meetings. Contact Alys at loganstreetsanctuary@gmail.com for more information.
