Larry Shapin and Ladonna Nicolas are more than just the founders of the SNAP foundation, a 501(c)(3) that supports visual arts professionals in Kentucky. They are avid art collectors themselves and have more than 1,000 works of art displayed in their home.
“(The house) was built in 1970, (and) I bought it in ‘75,” Shapin told The Courier Journal of their Jeffersontown abode. Over the past 48 years, he has built eight additions to the house, expanding its original 3,000-square-foot space to almost 20,000 square feet. The property also boasts a pool, barn, solarium, guest house, and more.
But as Shapin explained, he didn’t purchase the property with the intention of filling it with art. His penchant for collecting paintings, sculptures, and other works started with a single, unexpected piece.
Collector’s catalyst
“I (had) a date with (a) homecoming queen at the University of Louisville,” Shapin recalled. “She said, ‘We’re going to an art opening tonight.’”
Shapin had no idea what an art opening was, but they attended the event together, and he came across a painting that he just had to have. Unfortunately, it cost $500 — a chunk of change that he couldn’t afford to spend.
“This was in ’75,” he said. “I didn’t even have $20.”
Shapin left the art opening empty-handed but decided to call the artist and work out a deal. Mary Ann Currier, who painted “Frilly Lillies,” agreed to take installments of $20 per month until the piece was paid off.
“She went on to become the most famous artist in Kentucky,” Shapin said. “She died in ‘94, (but) we (were) good friends.”
Today, the black and white painting — which is so detailed, it could easily be mistaken for a photograph — hangs in the primary bedroom.
Also in the bedroom is a small bronze statue of a nude woman. Her legs are crossed and she’s leaning back, resting on the edge of the table. Shapin didn’t know it when he purchased the piece 30 years ago, a decade before he and Nicolas ever crossed paths — but it was made in Nicolas’ liking.
“She was the model for it,” Shapin explained. “Every art piece (in the house) has a long story.”
Keen kitchen
Certain areas of the house, like the chess room and music room, were designed with a certain theme in mind. The kitchen, Shapin explained, was inspired by Iceland.
“We went to Iceland a number of times, and I wanted to (create) an Icelandic kitchen,” he said. The space boasts blues and greens, with bursts of playfulness and spontaneity — and art is incorporated everywhere, of course.
The backsplash features the Ohio River, which was laser-imprinted on subway tiles; and on the wall hangs a piece of driftwood from the Ohio that has been transformed into a work of art.
On the counter sits what appears to be a stuffed toy rabbit — but its mouth is an outlet for a phone charger, and the piece is much heavier than it looks. “(The artist) infuses them with concrete,” Shapin explained.
The largest piece in the room, which hangs on the wall facing the island, is a mixed media work featuring an image of a rat facing packets of Sweet & Low. “The rat is an anagram for ‘art,’” Shapin said. “It’s (about) how sugar is killing us.”
Curated compilation
The house is filled with all types of art, made of everything from wood and plastic to paper, fabric, and metals. There are even a couple of pieces from The Art of Goodwill Residency Program, which gives selected Kentucky artists a stipend to spend at local Goodwill stores to collect materials for the purpose of creating art.
Though all the pieces were created by different people, at different times, and out of different mediums, they all have one thing in common: They were made in the Bluegrass State.
“Art curators from around the world came (over) last year,” Shapin said, “and they said they’ve never seen anything like this in the world.”
He explained that though there are countless art collectors and enthusiasts out there, he has yet to come across such an extensive collection that features only pieces by artists from one particular place.
“Everyone who has a big collection collects from all over,” he said, adding that being in a league of his own didn’t cross his mind when he started bringing art home. “I just wanted to help the local artists.”
Know a house that would make a great Home of the Week? Email writer Lennie Omalza at [email protected] or Lifestyle Editor Kathryn Gregory at [email protected].
nuts & bolts
Owners: Larry Shapin and Ladonna Nicolas, who work in commercial real estate.
Home: This is a 2-bed, 4-bath, 14,000-square-foot, modified ranch home in Jeffersontown that was built in 1971. The property also includes a 4,000-square-foot art barn.
Distinctive elements: The entire home houses a collection of local and regional contemporary art for the SNAP foundation; the kitchen designed to reflect elements of water, air, and earth; the backsplash is original artwork depicting the Ohio River; natural bamboo flooring in the kitchen; quartz countertop; glass island; primary bedroom centerpiece is “Frilly Lillies,” by renowned Louisville artist, Mary Ann Currier; gallery addition built in 2013 designed to showcase artwork; industrial concrete flooring on the lower level; reclaimed wood flooring from a former downtown warehouse on upper level; vertical “pocket” door opens to an outdoor seating area; Amish-built art barn constructed in 2021 features reclaimed barn wood on the main floor, skylights, and lower level funded by the SNAP foundation that is used for local artist exhibitions.
Applause! Applause! Gearld Nicolas, structural engineer, and designer; Rob Nicolas, general contractor; Charlie Sewell; Taylor Landscaping.