With downtown partnership, Belleville’s underground art venue gets new life

The Nunnery is back.

The DIY community space that once brought underground artists to a former Belleville convent was shuttered last year after city zoning officials accused proprietors of using the space as an unauthorized music venue.

But as of Halloween this year, the retreat for independent artists has returned. The proprietors hope to partner with local businesses to bring underground and unique talent to Belleville.

“I think that the nunnery is just expanding in a way that’s still focused on all the core tenants of what we’ve always been focused on,” said Richard Summit, who helps run the Nunnery and find bands to book.

“We’re dedicated to bringing alternative music and people to Belleville. We’ve never wanted to hurt businesses on Main (Street), but help bring some artists to town and bring the artists we know and love into the city and sell tickets to bring a little more money to the city.”

The first event was held at Spaces, a venue on Main Street in downtown Belleville.

With its elevated indoor stage, outdoor patio, and alleyway-turned-entertainment area, Spaces is remarkably similar to the former convent that many local artists have come to know. Each room features different performers, and visitors are free to move between sets, making the venue feel more like a relaxed community space than a typical music venue.

“(Spaces) has a really cool vibe and is really just different than a lot of the other venues around here,” said Landon Brooks, who works at Spaces and assists with community outreach. “We’ve got three stages, we do the shots at midnight and it’s just a really unique kind of space.”

Organizers from the Nunnery say a crucial part of their mission is benefiting both the city of Belleville and the underground community. Their first event in partnership was held on Halloween night, with 10 musical acts performing across three stages. Many attendees wore costumes—a common sight at the Nunnery, even before Halloween—and, with a legally chartered alcohol license, drinks flowed throughout the night. Musicians attracted clientele who otherwise might never have heard of them, Summitt said.

Musicians attracted clientele otherwise would likely have never heard of them, Summitt said.

“A lot of people have been coming in off the street,” he said. “They just heard the music and wanted to see what was going on and I guess they decided to stay.”

Future events between the Nunnery and Spaces are tentative, but Summitt said he hopes other venues will collaborate with them as well.

The complex of buildings at the old Ursuline Sister’s convent was vacated in 2005 when the nuns merged with another order. Gabe Kimme and Jackie Eberle purchased the mother house, a 3,000-square-foot home, and renovated it with space for performances and a recording studio. They later added a built-in stage, soundproofing and a public address system.

City leaders learned of the performances from an article in the Belleville News-Democrat and concluded that use of the property as a performance “venue” violated zoning laws.

But, as he argued to the Belleville City Council, Summitt considers the Nunnery more of an “art collective” than a “venue.” The mission remains to give underground artists of all mediums a platform to perform or showcase their work.

“Our thing has always been about helping Belleville, and we want to help more artists come to the city. I know people who love playing here, but there just aren’t enough places booking shows,” he said.

The new partnership also allows the Nunnery to remain a DIY community space without violating zoning laws. Post-performance parties still take place at the Ursuline Sisters former home on Douglas Road, but without donation jars or merchandise sales by traveling bands, the risk of being accused of running a commercial enterprise has been mitigated.

“We’re just keeping it low-key at the Nunnery,” said Kimme. “That way we can keep bringing artists to Belleville without making anyone upset.”