An Artist Who Calls Himself ‘Grantham Unknown’ Left New Orleans Calling It ‘Spiritually Desolate.’ Mobile Gave Him His Light Back.
Self-taught artist Grantham Unknown left New Orleans calling its arts scene 'spiritually desolate' and found new footing in Mobile, where he now co-manages the Lupercalia Gallery on Dauphin Street.
When the artist who calls himself Grantham Unknown came to Mobile from New Orleans less than two years ago, he did more than simply move up the road — he moved into the light, settling into a city he now describes as having strong prospects for its arts scene over the next decade.
Unknown is a self-taught artist who co-manages the Lupercalia Gallery at 1286 Dauphin St. in Mobile alongside his wife, Jessica. Before Mobile, he lived in Auburn, Birmingham and New Orleans, ultimately leaving Louisiana’s largest city because of what he described as instability in its arts scene — a period he called “a spiritually desolate experience for me.”
In Mobile, Unknown found a historic home in the city’s Leinkauf district that offered studio space suited to his work, and he supported himself working at World Market before eventually transitioning to pursuing art full-time. He’s described as bullish on Mobile’s arts development prospects, viewing the city’s smaller, more accessible creative scene as fertile ground compared with the more saturated markets he left behind.
About the Leinkauf district
The Leinkauf Historic District, near downtown Mobile, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. Roughly bounded by Government, Eslava, Lamar and Monterey streets, it contains hundreds of contributing buildings dating from the 19th and early 20th centuries in a range of Victorian and revival styles.
