Creative views sought to guide Artspace plan

Should the design of the planned Artspace buildings off South Main pay special attention to the needs of one kind of artist or two?

For example, would the 50 to 70 live/work spaces behind the Arcade restaurant on St. Paul have enough residents who are dancers that there should be a dance studio with a sprung floor?

Or, should special accommodations be made for filmmakers, sculptors, painters or musicians?

These are the types of questions Memphis artists are invited to answer at a meeting hosted by Artspace, 5:30-7 p.m. Wednesday at Memphis College of Art’s Nesin Graduate School at 477 S. Main.

Artspace has a contingency contract to buy a 107year- old warehouse in the Historic South Main District . It plans to renovate it for affordable live/work spaces for 50-70 artists and their families.

The $15 million-$18 million project , at 138 St. Paul, not only will preserve the three -story, red brick United Warehouse building, it will build a new companion building and connect the two structures.

The Artspace team is seeking more detailed feedback and ideas, said Kerry Hayes, special assistant to Mayor AC Wharton.

The architects for the project, LRK, will participate in the meeting to hear ideas that will influence the design.

“We want artists to come and talk with the Artspace staff and our local architects directly about the kinds of special amenities and features they’d like to see included in the eventual development,” Hayes said.

Artspace is a Minneapolis-based nonprofit organization that has built 30 similar projects around the nation. The spaces provide low-income artists a place to live, work, exhibit and inspire each other.

Artspace has negotiated a conditional $850,000 purchase price with owner Phil Woodard. Sale is contingent on due diligence and Artspace acquiring financing commitments.

If all goes well, construction could start in late 2013 and be completed by late 2014, Artspace officials have said. — Tom Bailey Jr.:

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