A 50-foot portrait of Henrietta Helm, a Louisville woman born into slavery who went on to educate generations of Black students, is undergoing restoration five years after it was first painted on a downtown building. The mural towers over West Muhammad Ali Boulevard, where it has become both a civic landmark and the financial engine behind a scholarship for future teachers.
The restoration work was reported by WHAS11, which noted the touch-up supports future teachers and helps preserve Helm's legacy in the city she called home. The 1,536-square-foot portrait was hand-painted at 429 West Muhammad Ali Boulevard in March 2021 by artists Darius Dennis and Jared Diaz, commissioned by the Portland Museum and philanthropist Christie Lee Brown, according to Colossal Media. It was painted on the side of the Philanthropic Center building in downtown Louisville.
From Enslaved Child to Schoolteacher
Henrietta Helm was born into slavery in Louisville sometime between 1863 and 1865, per the same account, and she became one of the first Black students to attend public schools in the city before taking a job as a schoolteacher at just 17. She later served as principal of the Portland Colored Evening School, according to The Filson Historical Society.
A Mural That Pays for Teachers
The mural's reach extends past its paint. After its 2021 completion, the Portland Museum's executive director and the mural's artists donated half of their commission to help establish the endowed Henrietta Helm Scholarship at the University of Louisville, Colossal Media reports. The scholarship specifically targets students in the Louisville Teacher Residency Program, prioritizing those who intend to teach in West Louisville public schools after graduation, according to the University of Louisville College of Education and Human Development.
In 2023, Jefferson County Public Schools educator Gerald Pitts became the scholarship's inaugural recipient while pursuing his Master of Arts in Teaching at the University of Louisville, according to the Envirome Institute. Pitts completed his pre-service teaching at Semple Elementary.
Transit Agency Joins the Cause
The scholarship's reach has also pulled in Louisville's public transit system. In February, the Transit Authority of River City named the Portland Museum its annual Design-a-Bus partner and used Black History Month programming to raise public awareness and funds for the Henrietta Helm Scholarship, per the Transit Authority of River City.
The 50-foot artwork was originally built with dedicated exterior spotlighting to keep it visible along the downtown Louisville skyline at night, according to Beautify Earth, which notes the mural was commissioned during Women's History Month in March 2021. Five years later, the freshening-up now underway aims to keep that image — and the scholarship it helped launch — visible for Louisville's next generation of teachers.
