During Brock Larson’s study at The Atelier, his father, Jeffrey T. Larson, began teaching there once a month. Brock also began to teach part time during his last year there and a dream began to solidify. They desired to open a small studio/school in Duluth, MN. The dream began to take shape with the purchase of an old, historic, stone church that had been sitting vacant for a few years. This dream has blossomed into The Great Lakes Academy of Fine Art.

Great Lakes Academy of Fine Art (GLAFA) is located in what was formerly St. Peter’s Catholic Church. It is located up on “Observation Hill” in the heart of what was once known as Duluth’s “Little Italy”. This area was populated by Italian immigrants, many of them being the skilled stone masons and brick layers who built much of Duluth’s beautiful architecture and landmarks, such as the Enger Tower. Observation Hill overlooks Lake Superior’s harbor where on any given day you will see huge ocean going ships and barges making their way under the famous Aerial Lift Bridge. 

St. Peter’s Church was the spiritual and cultural heart of this proud Italian community. The building itself was hand built in the early 1920’s by the skilled craftsmen within their congregation. These hard working artisans would volunteer their time after work and weekends to harvest the natural Duluth stone from the hills above the church. In the winter they would load the heavy rock onto sleds and were able to slide them down to the building site. It took them two years and much manual labor to complete their church. 

The bell in the north tower was cast in France in 1885 specifically for the first French Catholic church built by French missionaries. The Italians purchased that church from them after the French congregation moved and built a larger church in 1905. They also gave the Italians the bell at this time. The Italians soon out grew the former French church building which led them to begin the construction of their very own church.

The last church service was held at St. Peter’s in 2010 and the church sat empty, dark, and without heat as it began to fall into deterioration. Jeffrey T. Larson purchased the building in the fall of 2015 and work on a complete renovation and overhaul of this structure with its vast artistic potential began. New heat, electrical, and stairwells etc. are just a part of the needed renovation, all the while maintaining the integrity, especially on the exterior of this piece of Duluth’s history and pride.

Setting aside the inherent beauty and historical significance of this 8,000 square foot structure, the lay out, the large north facing windows, the 28 foot vaulted ceiling, and over all feel, are ideal for its conversion into a fine art studio. The first level with its 14 foot ceilings allow for private studios, dorm rooms and part-time class room along with a kitchen and common area.

The view from the back of the property is simply breathtaking. It looks out over the largest freshwater lake in the world, by surface area, Lake Superior. The Ojibwa call the lake gichi-gami, meaning “great sea”. 

“The early history of western art is so very much entwined with the history of the Roman Catholic Church that I think it is fair to say that one had a hand in shaping the other. For many centuries the scriptures came alive for a primarily illiterate population in the form of frescoes, oil paintings, sculpture and stained glass windows. It feels right, in this secular age, to be able to offer the opportunity to help pass on to this generation of young artists, from within the walls of St. Peter’s, the skills to someday become someone whose unique vision, combined with solid craftsmanship, will create images that resonate in the eyes of others in a manner that is both relevant and profound for today.” – Jeffrey T. Larson