Sculpture Center Update – March/Apr 2000

Things are proceeding with the idea for a sculpture center. We have met or talked with a number of people and groups about the concept, and are exploring potential sites and funding. We have created a separate group identity, the Stone Artists Guild, to pursue the sculpture center idea. This group can be a part of NWSSA should NWSSA decide a sculpture center is part of their mission. NWSSA is not currently involved with these activities, other than providing an initial forum for discussion.

The Stone Artists Guild has talked with:

·The King County Arts Commission and Washington Department of Community Development and Trade about funding. They are excited about the project as their priority is to preserve and create working artists space.

·The Pilchuck Director of Development about how to raise funding.

·A non-profit attorney for information on how to best organize this activity.

·The Seattle Art Museum about the concept. They are interested in this as a community outreach project.

·Sandpoint Park about potential availability of space at their facility.

·Pratt Fine Arts Center about their interest in expanding stone sculpture education in the Northwest.

At this point our primary goal is to purchase or lease Michael Braden’s former studio on Capitol Hill in Seattle. This is an existing world-class stone sculpture facility and would allow us to open for business almost immediately. However, the facility is under option to a developer who had planned to convert it to office space. And it takes money to purchase the facility. Anyone with contacts in the arts philanthropic world should talk to us about raising the funds for this facility.

We had our first exposure in the media. The real estate column of the February 25 Puget Sound Business Journal gave us about 8 column inches of discussion about the Braden facility and our efforts to maintain it as a sculpture facility. We gave the reporter a tour through the facility; he thinks our effort is wonderful and would make a good story in the general media. We have retained a volunteer public relations person to get us more exposure. With exposure, we have a better chance of making successful contacts with private arts philanthropists in the community.

Stay tuned for more developments. Call Ken Barnes at 206-328-5888 or Suz Gentiluomo at 425-788-6289 if you have fundraising ideas, contacts, or would like to otherwise help in this effort.