An established hub for culture and nightlife, Mill Avenue is kicking it up a notch to become a more enhanced urban community. One part of the plan? Getting its own art studio.
The studio will be its own neighborhood of wall space and workspace for artists to share as they craft and display their handiwork.
Downtown Tempe Community, Inc. (DTC) is managing the innovation and DTC volunteer Kate Foreman is the go-to woman for this newest slice of urbanity to reside on Mill Avenue.
“Our goal is to support emerging artists so they can become better at their craft through relationships with other artists and greater exposure,” Foreman says.
The almost-6,000 square feet of shared studio space located on 740 S. Mill Ave. (just south of Mellow Mushroom) previously operated as an Abercrombie & Fitch store. It is in the renovation process and Foreman expects it to be complete this fall, but there is no set date at this time.
A building that once housed corporate-designed clothes and was saturated with the cologne of commercialism will soon emerge as a dwelling for local inspiration and the pure incense of paint, oil, clay and whatever else the artists let consume it.
Until then, Foreman and other staff members of DTC will be interviewing artist applicants in order to select 17 member artists.
When choosing which artists to bring on board, Foreman says it will be a jury decision. The staff at DTC will be looking not only at the quality of the art, but also the artist’s willingness to work in a shared space and cooperate with other artists.
Member artists will rent out a space in the studio, ranging from $100 to $275 per month, depending on the location and size of the spot.
Staying true to the DTC staff’s desire to support emerging local artists, these members will keep 100 percent of the profit from selling their work.
In a way, each artist will "own" the studio, transforming their section of the wall and displays in the front gallery to suit his or her tastes and inspiration.
“It’s going to be hard to pick who goes into the shared studio space. [It will] need to have awesome work to bring people to the shows,” says Becky Nahom, a 21-year-old pursuing a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts for painting at Arizona State University.
She also has mixed feelings about the shared studio space.
“For me, I need to be in my own space, but at the same time I like to have different people close to me that I can bounce ideas off of and work as a team.”
Montage will also feature non-member artists at particular times during the year for exhibitions.
It will be “one consistent art presence on Mill Avenue,” Foreman explains. But don't mistake "consistent" for bland or repetitive. As far as the member artists, they can range from painters to jewelers, as long as the studio can accommodate their medium.
Montage is going to be a space for diverse styles and mediums of art, with a mélange of budding and recognized artists.
“The aim is to support those artists who are just entering the realm of marketing and selling their art, as well as bring the art of more established artists to the Mill Avenue District,” Foreman says.
These members get 24-hour access to the studio to cater to busy schedules and insomnia. The public can watch them work their magic on the third Thursday of each month and at set times on Fridays and Saturdays.
Foreman explains the vision behind the public hours is to deepen the interaction between the artist and the buyer.
“[Buyers] want to see local art and want to have the opportunity to see who is doing the art,” Foreman says.
Elise Deringer, a 28-year-old ASU graduate student pursuing a Master’s in Fine Art with a focus on fibers, voiced some practical concerns regarding the shared studio space, such as lockable cabinets and places to store work.
Foreman stated that there will be some lockable closets available for an additional fee, but artists will be encouraged to bring their own cabinets. There will not be much room for storage of works in progress.
But Deringer also sees Montage’s potential: “[It] will really help with getting Tempe's creative identity as an individual city in the Valley back up and running.”
The concept of Montage has been a dream that downtown Tempe has been chasing for years. Foreman says that Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman wanted to see art downtown along with patrons of the Mill Avenue district.
DTC, a nonprofit organization, manages several projects that make Mill Avenue the core of creativity and culture that it already is. Those other projects led by DTC include the Tempe Festival of the Arts, MADCAP Theaters and Fantasy of Lights.
Speaking about the long-awaited inception of Montage, Foreman says, “the stars sort of aligned to make it happen” at this time.
Reach the reporter at mfidura@asu.edu
