Studio traces roots back to mural project
When Austin Dempsey hired Joe Gagnepain to create a mural on the back of a Batavia Enterprise building, he had no idea that the mural would lead him into the world of art.
"Joe had just painted the building white to get ready to paint the mural," said Dempsey. "We were going over his plan for the mural when he started talking about a need for a gallery and studio space for artists in Batavia.
The idea wasn't new. Maggie Soliz and Becky Hoag of the Renaissance Project had been lobbying for a gallery and arts center for over 10 years. Their efforts positioned Batavia as an arts community. Although they were never able to get the gallery/studio off the ground, they did set the stage for future community involvement.
Like the stage play headed for Broadway, sometimes it takes a producer to move the production along. That happened when Dempsey and Batavia Enterprises became involved.
"I couldn't get my conversation with Joe out of my head," said Dempsey. "I spent the weekend working on a business plan for a gallery and studio space for artists."
The Dempsey family has a history of supporting the arts. They have purchased art from local artists for their offices and they have been involved in other artistic endeavors in surrounding communities.
"My grandfather, Larry Dempsey, has a plaque honoring him at the Fine Line Gallery in St. Charles," said Dempsey. "He donated the land that the Fine Line is located upon."
Finding supportersAustin Dempsey knew that a project like the Water Street Studios would take a lot of support, so he took his business plan to Roger Breisch of the Batavia Chamber of Commerce and Britta McKenna of Batavia MainStreet to get their feedback. He also set up meetings with artists to get feedback from those who would be utilizing the space.No matter how good the script is, sometimes it is necessary to find new players to breathe life into the play. In his focus groups, Austin Dempsey found just the person to take center stage. Joi Cuartero."She was the perfect person to take move the project forward," said Dempsey. "She could communicate with the artists and she had the ability to talk with others in the community, including the city."Help from the city was imperative to get the project up and running."The city awarded two grants in the amounts of $85,000 and $40,000," said Bill McGrath, Batavia's city administrator. "Ten percent of that is forgiven each year after completion of a successful year."Finding spaceTransitional space was created for an art center at 160 W. Wilson until the new studio on Water Street was finished.With input from the artists, the Water Street Studios space began to take shape. Studios had to be adapted for specific usage. Spaces need to be large enough to provide work space and there needed to be additional space for classes. The artist formed an association, the Batavia Artists Association and a board was formed."I feel very fortunate to have people in place who are committed to this project," said Cuartero, "and to have a city like Batavia be so supportive of the arts."In addition to studio space, Water Street Studios has two galleries. The upstairs gallery features the work of resident artists and the downstairs gallery displays the featured art show that changes every four months."Our gallery really has an urban feel," said Cuartero. "I don't think there is another gallery like it in the western suburbs."Sleek hardwood floors and white walls combine with Batavia quarry stone to provide a backdrop for the galleries of featured art.Planning a showBoard member Steven Lockwood, a metal sculptor, is in charge of the gallery and is putting in long hours working on the first anniversary show, that takes place from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 17. Best of show will be awarded at 7 p.m."We have 25 artists from all over the country displaying forty three pieces of art," he said. "This anniversary show will feature some amazing art and we will offer audio tours so that people can learn about the artists as they tour the gallery."Putting up a gallery show isn't done overnight. It takes hours and hours of work from getting the submissions, selecting the art to hanging the pieces."We had Hennie Reynders, professor of architecture, interior architecture and design at the Art Institute assist us as a guest juror for this show," said Lockwood. "One of our resident artists, John Granata, also juried the show."Once the art is selected, Lockwood must design the show. That includes receiving the art, hanging it, lighting and labeling each piece."One artist has a wooden spiral staircase that came here in sections and needed to be reassembled," added Lockwood.Raising fundsThe Batavia Artists Association is also sponsoring an online auction that features 29 different items, ranging from Cubs tickets to fine art. Those who want to participate in the auction can log onto the www.waterstreetstudios.com to link to the auction. On Friday, the online auction will cease and the items will be included in a silent auction."There are so many items we would like for the studio, from more iPods for the audio tours to speakers for the gallery and sound equipment for music," he said.Water Street Studios is a 501c3 organization, allowing for tax-deductible donations.Getting involved Water Street Studios also has a variety of memberships available which allow for free admissions to lectures, the newsletter and invitations to gallery openings.On Friday night, plan on extra time to visit the artists' studios, and visit with the 31 resident artists. Ask about classes for children and adults that are offered on a regular basis. Most of all, enjoy the work of the talented artists who see the world through a different eye and transform it into images that many of us can't even imagine.