current
issue »
newswire »
show listings »
event listings »
about
us »
contributors
»
submissions
»
email
list »
contact
us »
Letter from the Editor
August.01.2006
After a tough decision to leave its spacious warehouse home of several years, instead of turning tail or sticking its head in the sand, the board at ConWorks decided to throw a weekend-long party for the occasion. Everyone loves a wake, right?
The melee included The Paul Rucker Medium Ensemble, an "Intergalactic Jungle" featuring the Space Virgins, and a final reception on Sat.Jul.29, "A-Wake," which gave arts community members a chance to celebrate the exceptional and diverse work presented in the space since its opening.
With a rocky past that includes the firing in early 2005 of ConWorks founder and director Matthew Richter, followed by a messy round of additional organizational turnover that then prompted a passionate schism throughout the Seattle arts community — one that has just recently started to blow over — many are left wondering what the future holds for ConWorks.
A ConWorks board member had the following to offer on the subject:
"The decision to leave the current space was, of course, a difficult one to say the least. However, in reviewing the problematic conditions of the lease renewal, as well as the fiscal reality of running such a large space, the board came to the conclusion that it was in the best interest of ConWorks to regroup and wipe the slate clean on several levels, starting with the space itself.
The space at 500 Boren was noteworthy for its immensity, its warehouse chic, its multi-purpose sectioning, and its easy accommodation of large-scale installations.
However, in many respects, the scale of the space drove the programming, and, in turn, the scale of the programming impacted the scale of the fundraising required to offset both the programming and the overall costs of running the organization. For that reason we are specifically examining whether acquiring another warehouse-size space is core to the ConWorks mission.
For example, a smaller space might lend itself to spending more money on the actual arts programming. And, in another vein, combining ConWorks with one or more additional arts organizations might pose significant benefits in regards to programming, space, fundraising, and overall costs.
However, to be blunt, there's nothing formally in the works aside from the move out of the 500 Boren space and our investment in seeing the organization live on. We are using this time to explore our options and think expansively about what would benefit ConWorks and its community both in the short and the long term."
So take my advice and don't count ConWorks out of the game just yet.
This, after all, wouldn't be the first time ConWorks has risen from the ashes of a spatial closure. The original venue, which opened in 1999, closed in 2001 but was subsequently resurrected in the warehouse at 500 Boren in 2002, which has had a successful run on many levels right up to its current closure here in 2006.
Shine on,
m.
Founding Editor
Visual Codec
editor@visualcodec.com
