By SYLVIA BENAVIDEZ
Contributing Writer
A historic brick building behind downtown Albion’s iconic Coca Cola sign finds new life as the home of the Albion Arts Center and area artists finally have a permanent place to show their work, sell their art, and learn their craft. The grand opening for the center, located at 107 E. Cass St., was held Nov. 20 with a the Greater Albion Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau Ribbon Cutting ceremony. The gallery was packed with all the people who filled up the parking lot right outside the center.
The artists showing at the Albion Arts Center were all ages. Some have been residents of Albion for a long time while others are newer. Some of the art was made by traditional mediums and others from new. The long-time vision for an arts center in Albion, the history of the building, and passion of the artists all weave an amazing story that adds a very intimate feeling to the gallery.
Mary Slater, president of the Albion Arts Commission laughed when asked how long it took the opening of the gallery to happen. She answered the logistics less than a year, but the vision and having pieces for into place over 10 years.
Back in 2003, Cozy Up with Art was born in Albion, and artists could display their art in various places around Albion during the holidays. When Mary Slater and her husband, Richard Lewin, opened the Albion Heritage Bed & Breakfast, they nestled the event there. After the Bed & Breakfast closed in May 2019, Slater looked for new ways to celebrate art in Albion.
“They were a lot of fun and great. So, I still had that in mind… a few years ago, I had Superior Arts down by Anna’s (House of Flowers) I found out the City of Albion has on their books an Arts Commission, but it was not functional, so I got involved in it. Organized a group and became the president, so we’ve had that commission active for two years. We have rented other space around Albion and have had Art Under the Tower in the park in summer,” explained Slater.
When asked if she thought their group could make an art gallery happen in Albion, Albion Arts Commission Board member Juanita Solis-Kidder said, “…. Mary is the inspiration behind it. When she had the idea, I said, ‘Why not.’ It’s possible. There is a lot of interest and it’s all about art all around us not just paintings. I think it’s exciting.”
“It was suggested that I talk to Casey Merrild that he might have the space, and this was the space,” said Slater. “Casey being an artist made this a perfect fit. He had this building all redone. He was so happy to have arts in it. It fit his vision too. So, this is our first event that is called the Albion Arts Center, and this runs through Dec. 13. Starting in January we will have all kinds of things going on. Our ideas are limitless really. We will have workshops. We will have special themed exhibitions. We maybe will have lectures about a certain kind of art. We will have classes, youth, adult. Casey is developing in actual potters’ studio here with kilns.”
The space has already hosted community board meetings, and a piano was donated to them, so they hope to have some small musical kinds of events. Merrild is thrilled to see the building now has an artistic purpose and shared some of its history. “The earliest date I found on the building was 1889. I know in 1903, it was the waterworks building.”
Merrild explained, “After that it was a commodities distribution center. They were taking coal off the railroad and other commodities like wood and straw and they would deliver these things around town…After that it was a fire station, and this part was a police station.”
The new pottery area will have at least two kilns and is placed in an area which used to be the police station where the thicker wall in the back housed the jail. In more modern times, it was a recycling center, then eventually storage for the Albion Paint Spot. Merrild will display his pottery and teach classes. He will have a large gas salt kiln, two electric kilns for bisqueing, and four pottery wheels.
But he also had another reason to support the Albion Art Center. “I lived in Portland, Oregon,” he said. “There were parts of Portland that were more impoverished and run down and artists would move to these areas, and they would revitalize the area through low rent, building art in the community and making it an area that people would want to be and live. Thus, businesses would move into those areas. People would want to live in these communities, and it became a vibrant part of town… So, that is how I feel that art can help towns like Albion or any place that’s struggling through affordability and desirability.”
Cassidy Porter, one of the younger artists showing her pottery work, grew up in Albion and graduated from Albion College a couple of years ago. She now is the Community Brand Ambassador for the Albion Community Foundation and works at Pure Albion. “I am the manager down there and I skill screen and embroider work all within that space as well.”
Pottery is also a passion of hers. “I love creating new things and being able to see people use them and enjoy them for themselves. That is a really fun goal to me to grow as an artist to be able to work more and I am hoping that this space will allow more access to studio spaces,” she said. She is glad to see Albion create a home, a gallery and work studio for artists. “I think this is just the beginning of a lot more amazing things to happen.”
Artist Yujung Shen followed his family to Albion and has lived here for a year. He has been in places like Tai Pai, Austin, Texas, and Connecticut, and most of the places that he has shown his work have been much bigger. He. He is starting a company for clothing design. “You get really close to people (in Albion). You spend time with them emotionally talking with people unlike the big city. In the city, you don’t actually connect with people. This is the perfect condition to connect,” he said.
He had stars on display made with a 3D printer. They can be tree toppers or an ornament if separated from the base. He said, “My medium is almost anything I chose as simple as sketch and oil, acrylic to 3D computer sculpting.” He works with material as well. “I love being loved. If they want to have more of my work, they can ask for a custom sketch of their own,” said Shen. He said he loves getting to know the people who buy his work and the gallery is conducive to spending time with people who purchase his art.
Slater looked around the room filled with paintings, photography, crafts, Christmas decorations, jewelry, all the work of 28 local artists knowing more than 60 artists in the surrounding area have a place to show their art. “A long time Albion resident said to me, ‘I am just amazed that all of this art, all this talent, all this variety is right here. It just needed a space.’ Isn’t that just heartwarming,” She said.
Photos by Sylvia Benavidez
