New Canopy complex aims to bring East Austin artists together
by Jeanne Claire van Ryzin, October 20
It’s the kind of site artists dream about.
There’s some 40,000 square feet within three large inter-connected warehouses. There’s an equally spacious lot with plenty of off-street parking.
And best of all, there’s an address in East Austin, the area that in the past few years has become synonymous with the arts community.
Right now, the buildings on 916 Springdale Road look like any other construction site.
But come January, the place will open as Canopy, a complex of studios, offices, galleries and a café all stitched together by courtyards and breezeways — and yes, 158 parking spaces.
Plans call for Canopy to have 45 individual studios, eight multi-use spaces that could be used for galleries or offices for creative industry professional and one space being built-out to suit a café or restaurant.
Although the facility is owned and being developed by a consortium of private business people, the artist-founded non-profit group Big Medium — the folks who started the East Austin Studio Tour — is Canopy’s anchor tenant. And once Canopy is open, Big Medium will open its new gallery there, act as the site’s coordinator and use its space to continue to organize EAST. (This year’s EAST runs Nov. 10-11 and Nov. 17-18.)
Last week, a couple of dozen artists donned hardhats and put up with a drizzling rain to tour the Canopy site during an open house event aimed at potential tenants. (Rents for individual studios start at $500 per month. See www.canopyaustin.com for information.)
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