On the corner of Government and Park Streets, a large painted hand hangs from the roof of a beige-colored building. The ornament looks like something from the opening credits of a Monty Python film as it points all onlookers to the entrance.
Wrought iron gates open to a backyard garden of bathtubs, kitchen sinks and wooden cabinets. Hundreds of salvaged doors lean against the building’s exterior, making it a challenge to find the true entrance. But once inside Circa 1857, the flood of art and architecture will keep visitors from wanting to leave.
Circa 1857 opened Oct. 24, 2002 by Art Dennis and Danny Mcgylnn. Through the three months the gallery has been open, Baton Rouge’s desperation for a variety of art has brought good business to the company.
“Originally, the store was going to be mostly architectural with a little bit of art,” said Terry Denison, an environmental studies senior and featured candle-maker at Circa 1857. “We got this huge outcry from the community to present more art. So now the gallery is host to 30 artists from iron-workers to oil painters.”
The gallery tries to satisfy a wide range of home décor needs. Local artists offer stained-glass windows, iron curtain rods, doorknobs, coffee tables, faux-finished walls and murals to complement salvaged European furniture. At Circa 1857, the new is constantly being integrated into the old as the building itself has stood on that corner since 1927.
“My partner Danny and I wanted to save this old building. It used to be a drug store, years ago,” said owner Art Dennis, an LSU chemical engineering graduate. “We wanted to concentrate art and architectural resources into one location. While we chose this location because we just like old buildings, it’s bringing up the area as well.”
The gallery is divided into sections by artist, while a few stray pieces of artwork greet customers along the way. Glen Wesley’s huge hand-carved flamingo looks visitors square in the eye before customers notice the ceiling behind the creature. In-house muralist Sally Conklin’s creation deceptively appears to be a crumbling ceiling with ornate molding breaking away to reveal the sky.
“I did the ceiling in two days,” Conklin said. “The light fixture over this section of the room is off center, so I had to create something that would distract people from noticing.”
Conklin is a studio artist at Circa 1857 along with 10 other artists who form a group called Park Artists. Any time of day customers can peek into the back of the gallery and watch artists paint.
The hallway leading to the studio is home to Dennis’ concrete sculpture. His pieces are molded replicas of broken tomb decorations, such as cherubs or ornate tiles. After making the cast from the selected piece, the item is returned to the cemetery.
“People love these,” Denison said. “The idea behind them intrigues people.”
The gallery also features Brett Hangroder’s cement tables. Many of his pieces combine salvage and original work. One table has legs from Mexico and ironwork from French colonial Egypt inlayed in the center.
The talented combination of old and new has made Circa 1857 a successful member of Mid-City Merchants. The company purchased the surrounding lots and has plans to open a garden center and restaurant.