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Oroville Student Reports

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Artist Coalition on Main Street

~ written by Allie F 

OHS class of '25

Jan 2025

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Artist Meeting at the Oroville Grange

Highlands Community Support Coalition is working alongside artists to establish an art collective on Main Street at the location that previously housed 49 Degrees North Art Studio. The group believes that this collective will benefit artists and the local community in numerous ways.

 

HCSC Chairperson Joan Krajewski said that it will be an “economic incubator,” and that the goal of the collective is to create a sustainable business that will be able to grow and add to the vibrancy of downtown.

 

The collective will be organized under a 501 (c) (3) non-profit umbrella. The collaborative business model allows for artists to share the workload of operation while paying a small monthly fee that goes towards paying the gallery's operating expenses. The benefits of this are self-governing capabilities and shared facilities, all which will enable artists to share the burdens of operation, making it manageable and sustainable.

 

Several grants have already been awarded, such as the Arts WA grant that provided over 10,000 dollars to the cause. A portion of these funds will go towards the classroom rental space that the building includes, where art classes of all mediums are set to be taught.

 

Initial meetings were successful in getting interested parties to collaborate and look over the business plan, suggesting any changes they deem fit.

 

Touring the space for the first time, artists shared their thoughts on what areas would be best for displays, and what design details they desired. Although the building is awaiting new lighting and upgrades, it has the potential to open up numerous opportunities for the community and serve as a creative center for all. The next step in getting the collective up and running is getting more interested parties to join and start collaborating.

 

If you are interested in joining the collective and being a part of a new

era of art in Oroville, contact Suzanne Cheney at suzannecheney@live.com, or Joan Krajewski at Chair@hc-support.org.

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