Helms Family Gifts Property To Charlotte For Art’s Sake
UNC Charlotte dedicated a new space for the creation and celebration of the arts and culture on Thursday, Sept. 12. A gift to the University from JS Helms Family Properties, the Sue Lemmond Helms Community Art House honors lifelong artist and arts educator Sue Lemmond Helms.
“We are excited to celebrate the Helms Family and their support of UNC Charlotte this afternoon,” Provost Jennifer Troyer said at the dedication event. “Their generous gift will enhance the transformative work being done by our students and faculty in the College of Arts + Architecture, especially within the art and art history program.”
Lemmond Helms was a Charlotte native who graduated from East Mecklenburg High School and majored in art education at UNC Greensboro. An accomplished pianist, singer, and visual artist, she devoted herself to creative practice and education, teaching at various schools, ranging from elementary to high school, as well as art centers and Girl Scout gatherings. With her husband, Jerry Helms, she traveled to 35 different countries to acquire items for her collection, which she often shared with children to encourage their curiosity and cultural awareness. She passed away in 2012.
Mr. Helms and his children, Brian and Robin, gifted the Charlotte property at 11110 Front Porch Avenue to the University and created an endowment for its upkeep. An additional gift has funded the conversion of the garage into a multipurpose art studio.
The Helms family was at the event on Thursday to formally dedicate the home, which will be used by the College of Arts + Architecture and the Department of Art & Art History to house visiting artists, host faculty-led arts programs and workshops, and as a venue to engage local communities to promote the understanding and celebration of international culture, travel, and art. Clay Harper, visiting lecturer in digital media, is living there as the first artist-in-residence.
“This moment represents a major milestone in the trajectory of our college,” said College of Arts + Architecture Dean José Gámez at the event. “This dedication helps us kick off an academic year in which we will celebrate the Department of Art & Art History’s 60th anniversary with events on campus, in uptown at the Mint Museum, and at other locations in Charlotte. The Sue Lemmond Helms Community Art House will help our college build on our successes and extend our reach. We are grateful for such generous support and extend our many thanks to the family.”