Jasper Project board of directors members Laura Garner Hine (far left) and Al Black (far right) join board president Wade Sellers and ED Cindi Boiter at the new Jasper Project home
Homeless since the closing of the Tapp’s Arts Center on Main Street last winter, the Jasper Project finally has a place to hang its hat at the newly formed 1013 Co-Op at 1013 Duke Avenue in the old Indie Grits Lab building.
The Jasper Project will share upstairs office space in the house along with the Columbia Children’s Theatre and The Magic Purple Circle, presented by artist and storyteller Darion McCloud. One Columbia for Arts and Culture will manage the co-op space which includes a downstairs with two rooms large enough for salons, readings, and meetings, as well as a kitchen and a central stairwell. But at Jasper, we are most excited about the many ways we look forward to using the large backyard such as presenting film screenings, concerts, and outdoor stage presentations and readings.
Jasper is indebted to Lee Snelgrove, Jemimah Ekah, and One Columbia Arts and Culture for inviting Jasper to join the co-op. We contacted Snelgrove and asked him to share a few more details about the Co-Op and how the arrangement will work.
JASPER: How long has this plan been in the works?
SNELGROVE: The development of the 1013 Co-Op has been discussed by the Board of One Columbia since about April or May. When Indie Grits decided to move out of the space, they contacted me to suggest that we might look into taking over the house. They had put in a lot of work into creating a cultural space in North Columbia and they were concerned that their efforts would be redirected to non-arts purposes. Because of our concern that a cultural space would be lost, we started talks with Lenoir-Rhyne, the property owner, around that time to discuss the terms of the lease and to develop a suitable arrangement that would work. Once it seemed like a viable project that could be reasonably managed with One Columbia's existing resources, we started to reach out to potential partner organizations to make it a reality.
JASPER: How were the organizations involved chosen?
SNELGROVE: One Columbia contacted many of the organizations that already utilize office and administrative resources that One Columbia offers. We also talked to potential partners that we knew were interested in working with communities in the North Columbia area. From these conversations it was the Columbia Children's Theatre, the Magic Purple Circle and the Jasper Project that elected to partner and join the mission of the 1013 Co-Op.
JASPER: What do you expect/hope for out of this arrangement?
SNELGROVE: The goals for this cultural space and the partnerships with the three organizations align with some of the recommendations of the Amplify cultural plan. We expect that this arrangement will lead to better access for citizens in the North Columbia communities to cultural experiences and participation in the arts, as well as additional space that supports the work of Columbia's artists. We want to work directly with neighborhoods to identify their cultural resources and help them create plans that facilitate more cultural participation. And, we want this space to showcase how a community arts space with strong partnerships among community organizations can become a vital and vibrant destination.
JASPER: Can you please tell us more about how the Co-Op will operate in terms of rent, OC's role in managing the space and subsidizing the extra costs, etc.
SNELGROVE: The 1013 Co-Op is structured as a partnership among four organizations that share the different kinds of costs of maintaining a cultural space. One Columbia is the lead organization responsible for the lease, communication with the property owner, and the day-to-day administration of the facility, but all of the organizations share both financial and labor responsibilities to keep the space operational. Each organization provides a monthly amount to cover expenses like rent and power and each organization will put in a number of volunteer hours to support the work of their partner organizations and to the functioning of the entire space. We've developed a structure that we hope will provide the flexibility that some arts organizations need by not requiring time commitments and keeping the costs low. It's very likely that partnerships will develop and change over time and partner organizations will come into the space or depart as is appropriate for them to carry out their own missions and/or to support the overall mission of the 1013 Co-Op.
Thanks, Lee!
The Jasper Project is already developing plans for a community liaison committee, a neighborhood editor for Jasper Magazine, and a monthly Saturday or Sunday afternoon neighborhood picnic with poetry readings and open mic opportunities. But, like the rest of the world, all we can do now is sit on our hands and make plans for when the pandemic lifts and we can safely do our thing.
And we are always looking for volunteers. Please reach out if you’d like to get involved.
WELCOME to our new space!