Why does the Art Center want the 415 W. Washington property
Ann Arbor is thought of as a place that supports the arts and artists. That’s true. But, the organizations and people are all spread out. Because the Art Center wants to consolidate all its programs into one space; because there is interest in studio/rehearsal space and because 415 is a big property, we are willing to provide our assets to meet our needs and those of small organizations and individual artists at W. Washington. We want to facilitate a cultural center in addition to a visual arts center. Imagine the site as a beehive of activity–people coming and going at different hours from morning until late evening. Adults may drop in to the galleries, come to shop or come to classes. They may be dropping of children for classes, or it might be a gathering of the Fiberarts Guild, Ann Arbor Women Artists or the Spinners Flock, all of whom currently meet at the Art Center. We anticipate both rehearsal/practice space for performing artists, meeting space for artists, office space for organizations, and our own studios having open hours for people who are not enrolled in programs but want access to workspace.
Can 415 possibly be an improvement over the beautiful historic building on Liberty?
There is no replacing store front visibility right down town for retail and exhibitions. However, one of the things we have learned with multiple years of surveying customers is that we are a destination. People come intentionally to see exhibits. Our preliminary plans will make the area so active that we believe more people will know about us and come to see exhibitions and shop. It will still be a destination.
415 will be a definite improvement from an instructional point of view. Because the building will be gutted and rehabed and because the spaces are so large, teaching studios will be well equipped and larger. Liberty does not have the advantage of wide open space and is constricted by a load bearing wall dividing the building. We also won’t be retro-fitting anything. 415 is a gut and rehab, so we will in many senses be starting from scratch.
The Art Center owns two buildings, why purchase another?
Two locations were created when the Art Center’s expansion necessitated moving some courses to a new location. In 1986 it was North First, then Ann Street, then 220 Felch. While the expansions served student and instructor interests, the energy was disbursed. 415 puts everything back on track!
Consolidating all programs under one roof is the goal that 415 helps fulfill. When a visitor or someone coming for a course can also visit the galleries, shop, visit with students in other courses or talk to staff, it is simply a more interesting dynamic. In addition, artists will be able to interact more often when they are all under one roof–instead of two. And, with space for performing artists and groups to meet, there will be a wonderful co-mingling of the arts.
Where are people going to park?
Parking is a sensitive issue for everyone in Ann Arbor. We’re not used to walking a few blocks when it comes to getting to stores. The 415 site can handle some amount of parking, and we are addressing that in the RFP. We think it is important not to crowd the neighborhood, but we cannot accommodate every potential visitor on the site. People in our courses walk from 4th and William and 1st and William now, and there is parking equal distance from 415. Even at the Art Factory not everyone can find a space on the site.
How can you afford to do this?
Many years ago Art Center supporters were very wise in purchasing property. The organization has been able to weather rising costs and has assets with which to plan for the future. At present there are many options for financing this project. Time will tell which one is best for the current and long-term interests of the organization. Anyone interested in helping make this dream come true is invited to contact the development office or the president.
