New arts space planned for Gary State Bank tower
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A former professor at Indiana University Northwest is set to open a new arts space and creative incubator in downtown Gary. Our partners at The Times of Northwest Indiana report Steel Studio is located on the sixth floor of the Gary State Bank tower and will host exhibitions, performances and artist studios and workspaces.
The 10,000-square-foot space was created by Lauren M. Pacheco, a Gary-based artist who leads the Destination Gary and #PaintGary initiatives.
“The project name, Steel Studio, is a nod to Gary’s great steel industry and the project’s intention to be a space for experimentation, experiences, dialogue and innovation,” Pacheco told the publication.
Pacheco is seeking nonprofit status for the studio, which aims to boost regional initiatives in the arts, design, civic engagement, social justice, and other areas.
She tells The Times the studio is looking to become a community partner with the organizing group for the Chicago Architecture Biennial, saying such a partnership would be a “remarkable opportunity.”
“This would be a massive opportunity for the city of Gary to leverage a global event like the Chicago Architecture Biennial,” Pacheco said. “It would help lift up the great work that’s being done in the city and Region. It would bring in visitors and let us tap the minds of urban architects who specialize in adaptive reuse space.”
Steel Studio plans to begin organizing programming in March with initial art installations on both the sixth and first floors of the building.
You can read more about Steel Studio from The Times of Northwest Indiana’s Joseph S. Pete by clicking here.