PAVED Arts building going green thanks to $250,000 investment
A Saskatoon non-profit arts organization is devoting a lot of energy into becoming more energy efficient.
PAVED Arts will be “going green” at its building downtown, using a combined investment of more than $250,000 to install solar panels and improve the building’s insulation, heating and cooling systems.
“It just fits in with our philosophies ... we try to be progressive in every aspect,” executive director Alex Rogalski said.
Green energy and sustainable buildings are “the way things are going,” and PAVED Arts made the decision to be a leader in the community in that area, he said.
PAVED Arts provides space for artists working in photography, audio, video, electronic and digital mediums — hence the acronym “PAVED” Arts.
The facilities include “an access centre for media production and post-production,” according to the organization’s website. Professional development workshops and equipment rentals for producing media arts projects are all available to paying members. Free gallery exhibitions showcase the work of accomplished artists working in the PAVED field.
PAVED Arts and another group, the AKA artist-run centre, jointly purchased the building in 2005. It was formerly a restaurant. Rogalski said they took great care to turn it into a successful art space through “very economical renovations.”
The roof wasn’t renovated during the initial acquisition, so they decided to make fixing the roof “more than a Band-Aid,” Rogalski added.
“Very few other artists’ centres, let alone not-for-profit organizations, have the capacity to have their own building,” he noted. “The investment in the building — yeah, it will pay off.”
The $250,000 investment comes from a variety of sources, including the City of Saskatoon, Co-op Community Spaces, the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund, Bullfrog Power and the Community Initiatives Fund.
Ward 2 city councillor Hilary Gough lauded the two non-profits for their efforts, saying they “went above and beyond” in their efforts to stand out in the community.
“It is a very substantial investment in any building and in any organization, and I think PAVED and AKA should be commended for the work that they’ve done to get to this point,” Gough said.
The final step in the renovations, installation of the solar panels on the roof, is expected to be completed sometime in September.