Arts Council will move in to renovated space in June or July

After 55 years, the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri soon will have a home to call its own.

In January, the Arts Council announced it had purchased and intended to renovate and relocate to 16 N. Spanish St., a 12,000-square-foot facility in downtown Cape Girardeau.

Construction has been underway for several months, and a soft opening is expected in June or July.

The grand opening is scheduled for September.

The Arts Council has never had a permanent home, always renting and leasing various properties throughout its 55-year history, Arts Council executive director Murielle Gaither said.

Matt Jackson smiles after removing his respirator during a break from painting the ceiling of the future new home of the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri. Jackson was blacking out the ceiling of a front room with dryfall paint.Laura Simon

She sees the new facility, with ample space to lease out, as a way for the Arts Council to be a truly sustainable, not-for-profit organization.

“The building was originally three bays and three separate storefronts,” Gaither said of the former Steve-Mark building. Those bays are being renovated to house the Arts Council gallery, the Visual Art Cooperative gallery and studio space for On Cue Dance Studio, which will lease the space from the Arts Council.

The new Arts Council gallery will offer improved space for art installations, which aren’t as feasible in its current location.

“We’ve had some people tried to do installations in our current space, but it didn’t always work out,” Gaither said.

But the unsegmented gallery space the Spanish Street location offers is more conducive to large-scale artwork.

Kyle Randol paints the trim around the walls Tuesday inside the future home of the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri.Laura Simon

Behind the galleries are office and work spaces, as well as classrooms meant to fit one or two students and an instructor for private art or music lessons.

These spaces will be available to rent by the hour.

A ventilated ceramics classroom can fit three or four students, and it will be available in 3-hour blocks of time to accommodate setup and cleanup.

Gaither said she already has received interest in the available space from local artists and art instructors as well as writers looking for a quiet place to work.

“We have the mindset, ‘Build it and they will come,’” Gaither said.

Matt Jackson sprays dryfall paint to black out a ceiling in a front room Tuesday at the future new home of the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri.Laura Simon

When the Arts Council bought the facility, it had been gutted, with scant electrical wiring, no HVAC, and no ductwork.

“It really was wonderful. There were no surprises. We could see fully the potential the building,” Gaither said.

Gaither’s Construction LLC, a company owned my Murielle’s father-in-law, is installing updated wiring and ventilation and performing all the other renovations — from the exposed ceilings to the polished concrete floors.

The Arts Council is using repurposed materials throughout the new space.

A sliding door once in the back of the building will be relocated to separate the two art galleries in the front of the building.

Doors and water fountains from the old H-H building will be installed in the back.

“Once you see how much integrity the materials have and how well-made they were compared to now, it’s really been easy to incorporate different elements of that and retain some of the character,” Gaither said.

The Arts Council has plans only for the first floor of the two-story building. A second phase of renovation could take place in the future, but for now, Gaither said, the focus would be on growing into the first-floor space.

“We’re excited about the new space and what the future holds for us,” Gaither said. “We know it’s going to be good, and we know it’s going to be fun, but as for what it looks like, we’re remaining very open-minded.”

bbrown@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630

Pertinent address:

16 N. Spanish St., Cape Girardeau, MO