BRATTLEBORO — The Selectboard and an ad-hoc committee are considering two separate proposals to put an arts studio and gallery in the former Archery Building, the town-owned structure at 26 Depot St.
While about two dozen people showed up in July for a tour of the building, only two submitted proposals before the Sept. 12 deadline set by the town.
Fulcrum Arts, a collaboration of glassblower Randi Solin and ceramic artist Natalie Blake, is making its third try at moving its current studios and offices from the Cotton Mill to a downtown location.
A second proposal came from Alan Steinberg, a member of Brattleboro Clayworks. He is leading an effort tentatively called ArtsWorks, which would move Clayworks' studio from Putney Road to the Archery Building. He also wants to collaborate with River Gallery School and other arts organizations to create a group gallery and school.
Only one of these two proposals will be selected. The proposals will be vetted by an ad-hoc committee with representatives from the Town Arts and Union Station committees, the Brattleboro Development Credit Corp., the Recreation & Parks Department, and the Planning Commission, among others.
After the committee grades each proposal based on financial sustainability, how well it fits with the Town Plan, and whether each of the Request for Proposals (RFP) conforms with the town's criteria, it will make a recommendation to the Selectboard, which will make the final decision.
The winner will receive a long-term lease on the anchor building for what could eventually become a new riverfront park, but the winner will also be responsible for paying for the costs of turning a long-neglected eyesore into a showplace.
That's because the town has made it clear that while it is the owner of the historic building and it is committed to preserving it, it will not spend any town money to so.
Fulcrum Arts
For Solin, a move into the Archery Building represents the closure of a circle that started about 15 years ago.
“I approached the town then about buying the old Gasworks building and they weren't interested in selling then,” she said. “It's funny to be back again, only next door.”
Solin and Blake have had little to laugh about over the last few years of trying to locate their operations downtown.
In 2005, they sought to build at the site of the former Tri-State Automotive on Flat Street, but environmental issues and the high cost of flood insurance killed that deal.
Next, they tried to buy the former Sanel Auto Parts building on Flat Street next to the Transportation Center. They were about to close on the property earlier this year when it was sold at the last minute to Peter Johnson, owner of Emerson's Furniture. Now, Johnson is touting the site as a potential home for a proposed Community College of Vermont/Vermont Technical College campus.
Both Blake and Solin said that while it was painful to have lost out on the Sanel building, they believe they have a better deal with the Archery Building.
“We won't miss having to be property managers, so that's a relief,” Blake said. “But we will miss having a basement.”
Their plan calls for Solin's glass studio to be on the first floor of the Archery Building, while Blake would have a studio and gallery on the second floor. They also plan to put up an addition, but it would have to conform to the original design of the 1849 building.
Both women are running successful businesses in the Cotton Mill, but they say they've run out of room to expand.
“Without a different space configuration, there's no way we can do classes here [at the Cotton Mill],” said Solin. “Putting on classes and workshops is now a big part of a glass studio's business.”
They said they hope to collaborate with with the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC), who sees the Archery Building as potential auxiliary space for its classes and events.
Solin and Blake said they envision their studio as being a hot destination, particularly with the train station just 100 yards away.
With the Latchis Hotel and Theatre, the Brattleboro Food Co-op, the Whetstone Station restaurant, BMAC, and the Marlboro College Graduate Center all within easy walking distance, Blake and Solin said they see someone stepping off the train, and being able to enjoy a weekend of arts classes, food, and fun without needing a car.
ArtsWorks
Unlike many who did the tour of the building in July, Steinberg said he was undaunted by the mess inside. The building had been abandoned for several years and was used by homeless people as a temporary shelter.
“I'm sure it scared a lot people off, but I saw incredible raw space that was very flexible and good for the activities we want to do,” he said. “And the site itself is stunning.”
Steinberg, a former New York City public school teacher, abandoned his career three decades ago to be a full-time self-supporting clay artist. He helped found Clayworks in Brattleboro in 1983, a combination workshop and gallery best known for its involvement with annual Empty Bowl Dinner, a fundraiser for the Brattleboro Area Drop In Center.
He said he envisions the building as not just studio and gallery space for Clayworks and River Gallery School but also an arts incubator, similar to the role that the now-defunct Windham Arts Gallery served until it closed in 2009.
Steinberg said he sees a first floor studio and second floor gallery set-up, similar to Solin and Blake. He, too, wants to add on to the building. However, he said he sees the ultimate goal as providing Brattleboro much needed work and display space for what he calls “3-D works.”
He estimates it will take at least $500,000 to renovate the building and make to what he hopes will be a model of energy-efficiency that the town can show to others as a template for green building techniques.
He said he agrees with Solin and Blake that the biggest draw of the Archery Building is the green space that surrounds it and the Connecticut River that flows past it.
Steinberg said he has followed with interest the work of Michael Singer and his Center for Creative Solutions, which has been working for several years with Marlboro College on a plan to reclaim the industrial land by the river for other uses.
“Making Singer's vision - creating a space that would give the town access to its river - fit with our vision is something we like a lot,” said Steinberg. “The interplay between the indoor and outdoor spaces will be exciting.”
Most of all, Steinberg believes his proposal would lead to a big and long-sought prize for Brattleboro - getting the designation of state-approved craft center.
The Vermont State Craft Center designation would bring with it additional marketing opportunities with the state, as well as resource-sharing with other galleries and craft-education centers.
“This would be a huge draw for us, and harness a lot of collective energy,” said Steinberg.
Who wins?
Solin and Blake think they might have an advantage in the process, since they have been through so much in trying to rehab historic old buildings into studio space.
“We have learned so much in the past seven years,” said Solin.
“If the criteria is that they want a strong business in there, we meet that standard,” said Blake. “We both have stable businesses, and we have a lot of support in the community for our proposal.”
Steinberg can make a similar statement, based on the success of Clayworks. “We have a long list of people who have started with us who have built successful careers,” he said.
But he lamented the reality that only one of the two proposals is going to win, and that someone will be going away unhappy.
“I wish it wasn't that way, but the reality is that there aren't a whole lot of places available in town to do these things,” he said. “Brattleboro is ripe for having an arts campus.”