In recent months
Concentrate has reported on how it's difficult for
individual artists and burgeoning
performance groups to find a space to do their thing in Ann Arbor. But the lack of space for the arts isn't a problem that's limited just to the young and cash-strapped. Even one of Ann Arbor's most prestigious cultural institutions is desperate for a new, publicly accessible arts center.
"It's pretty surprising that in 2015 we don't have access to a highly flexible black-box venue that can really accommodate a whole array–whether it be small-scale theatrical work, dance work or musical concerts–that's reflective of how contemporary artists are making work and the kinds of space they're making work for," says
University Musical Society director of programming Michael Kondziolka.
UMS has been working closely in recent months with
Duo Security's Dug Song and Peter Baker, who have been conducting a search for a downtown property suitable for a new public arts center. Baker says his focus is on offering more gallery space for Ann Arbor's visual artists, in contrast to the more performing arts-oriented center Kondziolka describes. But that's also exactly the point of the space both are looking for: adaptability for the needs of the variety of individuals and community organizations who would be welcome to use it.
Baker says the effort was inspired by a discussion he had at last year's Avalanche event. During one session, five breakout groups all discussed ideas for new local initiatives centering on civics, food, art, technology and business. But a common theme arose.
"Almost everybody was talking about the need for studio and exhibition space downtown, a mixed-use space, a multi-use space somewhere downtown," Baker says. "That was really kind of striking, to be like, ‘You guys were supposed to be talking about food and it ultimately turned into talking about needing a space to try to do food events in.' ‘You guys were talking about civics and then realized that these kind of conferences need a space to happen in.' ‘You guys were talking about art and realized there's no place to exhibit the art that's being made.' It all kept coming back to that."
Since then, Song and Baker have pursued several different potential sites for a new arts center, including the Cavern Club, a space adjoining Chase Bank's downtown location and the former Firefly Club on South Main. But all spaces were either unsuited to Song and Baker's needs, or were taken back off the market during their exploratory process. Baker says "money really wasn't the problem" in the search. He and Song were prepared to make their own financial investment in the project, and were also expecting buy-in from community partners including UMS (Kondziolka says that if the space emerged, UMS would be an "active user" of it and "would be actively paying rent"). Baker says the real problem was that there's simply "no empty space" downtown.
"It's great to have all this density downtown," he says. "But if downtown becomes a bedroom community for the tech offices next door, that's losing anything that makes it worth wanting to be downtown."
Having seemingly exhausted options for a brand-new downtown arts space, Baker says his "most realistic" next step is getting involved with efforts to expand operations at a stalwart downtown institution. He recently joined the board of the
Ann Arbor Art Center, which currently has a single gallery space focused on visual arts exhibitions and otherwise mostly devotes its space to a variety of art class offerings. But the center's president and CEO, Marie Klopf, says the center is considering options to expand its space to not only meet demand for its existing services, but to "expand our vision and our definition of visual arts."
"We have a lot of really cool arts and culture that goes on in Ann Arbor, but they're like little circles of activity," Klopf says. "How do you combine those circles and how do you create a space where they can overlap and you can really broaden what it means to have arts and culture in the city?"
Klopf indicates that that could mean expanding the center's facilities to accommodate performing arts, but an expansion project is still in its early stages. The center initially looked into purchasing an entirely new space–notably the city-owned space at 415 W. Washington, long the subject of redevelopment discussion. However, Klopf says that property has now "fallen pretty far" down her list of options. She's now strongly considering the option of building upwards from a part of the center's existing property that sits west of its main building and south of its neighbor, the Beer Grotto. She says it would take the center one to three years to pull the trigger on such a project, which would require a capital campaign of $1 million to $2 million.
Other options for a new multi-purpose artists' space may arise from an upcoming study by the nonprofit
Arts Alliance, recently funded through Washtenaw County's Act 88 economic
development grant program. Arts Alliance president and CEO Deb Polich says discussion about the need for affordable local studio space following the July closing of
Ypsilanti's SPUR Studios prompted her organization to pursue the $76,000 grant.
Polich says at this point the Arts Alliance has no specific vision for what the new space would look like, who would run it or even where in Washtenaw County it would be located. The yearlong study, which will commence in January, is aimed at gathering community input and developing a sustainable business plan for the potential facility.
"What [the Arts Alliance] does want to do is listen to what the creative sector is talking about and wishing for and wanting," Polich says. "Our role tends to be more facilitating the conversation and looking at the feasibility of such projects."
Polich says a big part of the problem is that the city of Ann Arbor doesn't invest enough in art, leaving cultural initiatives to the University of Michigan, individuals and nonprofits. But as cities like Detroit and Grand Rapids begin to steal some of Ann Arbor's cultural spotlight, she says something will have to change.
"We already have started to lose an edge about being the arts and cultural mecca of Michigan," she says. "Other communities that are investing in these things are starting to take direction. I think that's great. I think every community should invest. But if we want to remain competitive, if we want to sustain these things, we've got to start looking at some broader funding opportunities."
Patrick Dunn is an Ann Arbor-based freelance writer and a senior writer at Concentrate.
All photos by Doug Coombe .
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