studioblog: 19 July 2006
Studio facility update
I thought I'd give an update on facility issues. Because we use a facility for only 4 months and we don't like to spend a bunch of money on rent, the actual search for a space takes place very close to the start of the studio. A few weeks ago I began in ernest to secure a space. The space that was highest on my list was the old greyhound bus terminal at the corner of Wealthy and Grandville.
This space was good for sevearal reasons and further research made it even more desirable. A few of the features.
- Proximity to Grandville neighborhood. A great developing area with a strong Hispanic community.
- History and status as a center for Public Transportation. Much to do with the city revovles around space, movement, and people. These things come together around public transportation.
- Proximity to the new River Grand Development area.
- Large windows with great visibility. Our activity would be visible.
I met with the owner and he was very interested in having the studio in this space. However, as time progressed several potential long-term tennents became interested in the property. As of now this is a very low probability.
I looked around some more and finally met with the head administrator for the RAPID. They have a brand new CENTRAL STATION.
The Station includes a large retail/office space on the main floor.
The space has an entrance to the street and large highly visible windows.
In many ways this space is far outside my expectations about a space for the studio. But as I happened upon it and thought more about transportation and space it seemed a very rich place in which to engage imaginations and observations about the material of civic life. It meets every attribute that I valued in the old bus station. There would be much less "renovation" and "cleaning". I've been worrying that it would be to sterile and corporate. Actually, I think the studio would be much more visible and the pressure would be greater to produce and engage. In many ways it would be more public and assume more responsibility. Each time I have approached doing the studio I have tried to embrace change and challenge my conception and expectation for what the studio should be- all the while staying focussed on developing how we as visual artists might engage public life. I think there is a lot of potential here. As you will find out the studio is much more about developing techniques of production together - rather than learning a set of established methods. I made a proposal to the Rapid and we are in discussion about this as a possibility for the studio.
In addition I've had discussions with folks at the city about the possibility of using some vacant city properties. The one that seems most interesting is the Vehicle Storage Facility at the corner of Wealthy and Front.
I'm very interested in this as a potential long-term site for the studio.
All of this is preliminary and not yet for broad publication. It all might fall through, but I wanted you all to know about it. The lessons I've learned are to be patient, imaginative, and engaging. It just confirms that the world is plastic. Not that it should be ripped up and slammed together to match our will, but that it is to be experienced, observerd, nudged, admired, then altered a bit - then experienced, observed .. . . . . .
Paul
