The gallery in city council chambers erupted with applause Monday evening when councillors gave their unanimous support to a lease agreement with the Visual Arts Studio Association (VASA) for use of the Hemingway Centre.
Council originally asked administration to negotiate a lease with VASA to use the former RCMP station as an artists’ incubator in January. VASA will move in June 1.
“I would simply like to say thank you for giving us this opportunity,” Pat Wagensveld, VASA’s board president said to council before the vote.
Under the terms of the lease, VASA will take over 64 per cent of the total area of the building, about 5,292 square feet. It will pay the operating costs for that percentage of the building, which equals $23,744. VASA’s operating budget will be reviewed on an annual basis with any increase to be capped at three per cent. However, when asked what happens when that increase exceeds the three per cent, council was told it would be covered by the city.
Of the space it plans to occupy, VASA will use 42 per cent as dedicated studio space, with the remainder used for community programming, exhibits and education space. The city will retain some space for storage.
“With the larger space, VASA will be able to realize its goals,” Wagensveld said. “Aspiring arts students will find a gathering space to work with experienced artists.”
Last December, Mayor Nolan Crouse put forward a motion to use the Hemingway Centre as an artists’ incubator with conditions that no new capital is invested in the building in 2012, the building is used for visual arts entrepreneurs and programming, including arts development for individuals with developmental disabilities. Wagensveld said she has been in touch with the Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts to facilitate such programming.
“The arts centre can be akin to an outdoor skating rink or outdoor basketball court,” Crouse said. “It’s like drop-in shinny. It’s a place to practice your hoops or skating or shooting.”
The building had sat predominately empty or underutilized since the RCMP moved to its Bellerose Drive headquarters in 2002. The council of the day originally mothballed the building before it was revived as temporary office space for groups such as Special Olympics and the 55 Plus Games. It was even used as a location for filming an American horror TV show. Repeated studies to refurbish the building — which would include removing lead paint and asbestos from the insulation — pegged costs at more than $2 million. As early as last year, council was even considering allowing the RCMP to use the space to alleviate the crunch at its detachment.
While the city will not invest any capital in the building, VASA is seeking grant money to make a capped washroom universally acceptable.
Crouse’s only concern has been the building might only host artists of one or two different mediums. City visual arts co-ordinator Heidi Alther said she believes VASA is open to almost anything.
“I would say that VASA is looking at exploring anything that the facility will support,” Alther said.
