The Free Press, Mankato, MN - The art of a new purpose

Sat, Nov 21 2009

Resources

Print this story

Post to del.icio.us

Photos

Shannon Robinson and Tony Frentz are collaborating to turn this downtown church into an arts center. Robinson leads the nonprofit that will find artists who need studio space, while Frentz will own the building and will lease the space. The pews and organ will be gone, but the church will remain largely intact.
/ John Cross

The First Church of Christ, Scientist, on Second Street in Mankato, was built 66 years ago.

The art of a new purpose

Christian Science building to become arts center

By Dan Linehan
The Free Press

There they saw how Arts Alive, an umbrella nonprofit representing more than 60 arts groups, brought artists to the Poudre River Arts Center. The Mankatoans also saw how that collaboration brought visitors — and their cash — to the downtown area.

Debra Becker, a co-executive director for Arts Alive, said the center has been working for about a year and 20 artists are on a waiting list for space.

But will a plan that works in a city of 128,000 survive in Greater Mankato, with a population of roughly 50,000?

Becker said all the players — the building’s owner, the city, the arts nonprofit, and the artists — have to be working in the same direction.

She said the city of Fort Collins doesn’t directly subsidize the center, but it offers grants to nonprofits as Mankato does.

And while she can’t predict with certainty the success of Mankato’s effort, she is sure of one thing.

“There are artists everywhere who need space.”

<< Previous |