Dearborn, EDDDA in Talks With Artspace
The East Dearborn Development Authority (EDDDA) tells us it is partnering with the City of Dearborn to explore a new and creative approach to a potential economic development project with Artspace, the nation’s leading nonprofit real estate developer for the arts.
The next step, however, requires community input. That’s where Dearborn residents can help. An Artspace discussion will be held on April 28, 9 a.m. – noon, in the Dearborn City Council chambers. An Artspace representative will conduct a presentation and question and answer session with the city and residents.
The EDDDA tells us that the Artspace mission is to “create, foster and preserve affordable space that serves the needs of artists and arts organizations of all disciplines.” This in turn helps the continued growth of the arts in our community.
Dearborn has a distinct and vibrant marketplace of people, food and cultures as well as the $70 million mixed use development under construction at Michigan and Schaefer. So the EDDDA is well positioned to support an innovative and creative project such as the proposed Artspace.
Melissa Kania of the EDDDA says the arts and cultural industry is one of growth and has a direct economic impact on the community. She says nonprofit arts and cultural organizations support more jobs then other fields such as accountants, lawyers, public safety officers or teachers. And, she says, the arts and culture industry attracts audiences, increases tourism, spurs business development and generates revenue. That’s all good business.
To learn more about Artspace and its success in other communities, you can visit their website at www.artspace.org The scope of this Dearborn project will require a solid strategy and community involvement from all sectors: financial, civic, arts and culture for this to be successful. So if you can join the meeting on April 28, please do so.
April 27th, 2010 at 7:14 am
Is the idea here for Dearborn to pay Artspace to decorate/renovate empty buildings? When the non-profit Design Michigan group from Cranbrook approached Dearborn a few years ago to do the same thing for free to spruce up the look of vacant buildings on Michigan Avenue the city said “no.”
April 27th, 2010 at 9:45 am
Wouldn’t you say that is quite typical of the city? It wasn’t their idea to have this done.
April 27th, 2010 at 10:39 am
oldallday I think Artspace is more or an arts business incubator. It sounds like they’ll work with the EDDDA to help foster business creation in the creative arts fields. This is what I wish had been explored when deciding what to do with the Montgomery Ward building.
I hadn’t heard about the Cranbrook group but from what you write it sounds different, more like decorating rather than fostering business. Still, the city shouldn’t have turned them down if that’s what they did.
April 27th, 2010 at 6:57 pm
Does anyone know what the hell that big bronze thing is sittin in the lot of the former Mercury Motel?
April 27th, 2010 at 9:50 pm
grumpy, I would guess that’s one of the new sculptures which are a part of the Midwest Sculpture Initiative. I heard one might be located there. Last year the sculptures were all around the civic center. This year EDDDA and WDDDA chipped in and they’re getting a few sculptures in each end of town.
April 28th, 2010 at 9:57 am
Paul M.–you are right; the Cranbrook program was related closer to window dressing than infrastructure improvement. However, it was a wonderful opportunity to utilize the free services of reknown architects and designers who traveled the state and country trying to improve the appearance of downtown areas in hopes of attracting more people to those places.
I do believe this opportunity was rejected by Mike Guido.
April 28th, 2010 at 3:17 pm
I am relieved to hear that it is a sculpture in the old Mercury lot. I was afraid it was a display of one of our new trash cans. Yikes.
April 28th, 2010 at 11:15 pm
Speaking of the former Mercury site, are they ever gonna build on it?
April 29th, 2010 at 8:38 am
I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but to me (and others!) the “art sculpture” is an eyesore at the old Mercury site. I really thought it was a beat up trash dumpster :/ It’s not permanent there, correct??? I hope not.
April 30th, 2010 at 8:07 am
As a commercial artist and designer I can appreciate all types of art, but the piece on the old mercury site doesn’t ignite my scenes. I actually thought it was a large piece of excavation or lawn equipment at first. IF they are going to keep it, I hope they at least landscape it with some flowers or something. Presentation is key, dress it up make it look like a show piece and not an abandon piece of farm equipment. Put some lipstick on that pig. I love downtown West Dearborn and welcome positive change and hope it becomes a destination town in the future, I just hope beautifying the city doesn’t look like throwing industrial machinery in open fields…
April 30th, 2010 at 1:37 pm
I like it for its textural and material qualities but it’s poorly placed on the site. The sculptures through the Midwest Sculpture Initiative stay for a year and then either go back to the MSI or, since they’re all for sale, to the purchaser.
April 30th, 2010 at 9:45 pm
The “art” on the old Mercury site needs company. It is far too big a lot for one piece to sit alone. The piece might be better appreciated in a smaller space. Whoever placed it there, should look into finding it company (lots of comapany) or moving it to a much smaller space. It almost looks as though it dropped out of the sky! Most things that plop on the ground are not viewed as very artisitic!
May 1st, 2010 at 9:54 am
Marge: you are exactly right. i thought the same when i drove by. rather than scatter each piece of art around the city it would have looked so much better to have five pieces at the Mercury site. what is there now looks like a rusted mistake driving by at 30 mph. a real missed opportunity.
May 4th, 2010 at 7:14 am
sweet! now there is weeds growing it :/