A major local artists’ collective is facing the same struggle that many people face when they move into a new home: renovations.
The Visual Artists Studio Association has only been in the historic Hemingway Centre since last spring but the place still needs to have some work done in order to fit the group’s purposes. The closure took some people by surprise, especially since VASA is still in the middle of its All Members Show exhibition.
“We’ve been planning this for a year,” explained VASA’s founder, Pat Wagensveld, with a laugh.
The work will involve a divider being removed inside the front entrance, “just to make it a little more user friendly,” Wagensveld said. The bulk of this phase of the project will involve two smaller rooms being merged into one larger room. This new feature will see a lot of action as a classroom.
“We formed a partnership with the Nina Haggerty Centre. They’re going to work with this, provide us with leader artists, to put on the Artists with Disabilities program.”
It is anticipated that this will take two to three weeks.
Phase two should only take another week or two. It will see a rejuvenation of a bathroom while another bathroom will become wheelchair accessible. A doorway will be widened to further facilitate this accessibility work.
“It should be barrier free pretty quick. Not quick enough for me,” Wagensveld laughed again.
The cost of the project is around $64,000. Part of the funding came from grants through the province and the city and VASA covered the rest. The architect is Edmonton’s David Murray, a man who is no stranger to working on sensitive historical buildings. He was instrumental with both the recent grain elevator and Little White School renovations.
“He has just been a gem! I can’t say enough good about him.”
The centre is expected to reopen to the public in time for the opening of the June show on June 6.
