Busy bee plans for cultural hive business
Le coeur du centre-ville de Vankleek Hill deviendra une ruche bourdonnante d’affaires culturelles. L’ancien édifice de la Dominion House, à l’intersection de la rue Main et de la route de comté 34, a un nouvel avenir devant lui, celui d’accueillir un nouveau projet culturel dans le village, qui offrira un lieu de travail aux artistes locaux, un lieu de spectacle et de vente pour leurs projets, un studio de sonorisation pour les musiciens locaux, un café et d’autres installations pour aider à soutenir la communauté artistique et culturelle grandissante du village. The official start of spring is still three weeks away but there are some “busy business bees” already at work on a project to create a cultural hive in the centre of Vankleek Hill, to help support both the creative spirit and business needs of the village’s growing arts and culture community.
Blanche Putzel confirmed, over the February 24 weekend, that she has negotiated the purchase of the former Dominion House building on the corner of Main Street, loca-
ted between the intersections of High Street and County Road 34. The building, which is zoned commercial and once served as a hotel during its early years as part of the village’s business district, will have a new life as “cultural hive”, providing space for a variety of support and business facilities for local artists, musicians, and craftspeople.
“It’s going to be a creative collective,” Putzel said. “A kind of incubator for creative ideas of all kinds, a socially sustainable enterprise.”
The main part of the building is a threestorey structure, with a two-storey addition at the back. The main floors feature 12-foot ceilings, suitable for gallery space or providing room for large-scale art projects.
The overall plan for the building once it is renovated inside, Putzel explained, is to provide studio space where local artists can work and also display their pieces to potential buyers, create a small retail display area for works of other artists who may not have studios in the building, and offer a sound studio for musicians working on recordings. The business plan for the building also includes setting aside space for a coffee house, which can both serve as a live performance venue for artists and musicians, and a cultural gathering place for local and visiting patrons of the arts.
Phil Arber Memorial Garden
The renovation design includes plans to develop the small piece of greenspace, at one corner of the property, as the Phil Arber Memorial Garden, in honor of Phil Arber who passed away in 2016. Arber was the active force behind many of the village’s community arts and festival events.
A “Welcome As Is” afternoon gathering is scheduled for March 18, 1 to 3 p.m., at the building. The event will be a combined open house and celebration for the start of the project, with artists, musicians, and writers invited to express their interest in having studio space in the building following renovations. Members of the creative arts community and the general public are also invited to provide feedback, comment, and ideas on how the building can serve the community overall.
“Creativity is always fluid,” added Putzel. “It will be a place for people who want to be a part of it.”