A project called Undertow Creative is working to open five artist studios in the Peterson Building, a mixed-use commercial and residential property a few doors down from the Art Center of Burlington.
“We have a thriving, active arts scene in Burlington, particularly in downtown, so this felt like the next step forward,” said Elizabeth Pappas, executive director of the art center.
The building is at 315 S. Jefferson St.
The project is spearheaded by the art center and Downtown Partners, Inc., in collaboration with the Iowa Arts Council.
They will start off with five private, lockable studio spaces, all on the first floor of the building. Three will be 10-feet-by-10-feet, the other two will be 20-feet-by-10-feet.
There will also be a printmaking lab with an etching press in the back of the building, and they plan to offer monthly printmaking workshops.
Pappas said the art center is seeking applications from artists interested in becoming the first ones to use the space.
“The artists that will set the tone, determine the culture, and are also willing to experiment. This is, in a way, an experiment,” Pappas said.
She said the artists will help them figure out the lighting for the space, the color of the walls, and other finer details.
Pappas said Undertow Creative will be an opportunity for artists to be around other artists who might be interested in collaborating, and it’s a chance for them to bounce ideas off one another.
“When you put a great group of artists together, the sky’s the limit,” Pappas said.
She said there is room to expand on the first floor if needed.
Amy Moyer, Executive Director of Downtown Partners, Inc., believes Undertow Creative has the potential to offer more than studio space.
“It’s also a space where we can open up the doors and have gallery nights in conjunction with the arts center or even during farmers market, where for 22 weeks people walk past those doors,” Moyer said. “We can open up those doors and have an area where those artists can sell their work and have the public able to engage with them as well.”
Moyer believes the arts help create a vibrant downtown. She said the downtown has added numerous murals in recent years and hopes to see other artwork added.
Pappas said funding is coming from the Iowa Arts Council, the Beautiful Burlington Foundation, and through in-kind support.
Moyer believes the studios will open this fall, and said they’re marketing the space to artists from the entire region.
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