Starting Art Village

8/9/2019 Starting Art Village

1/31

The Art Village Project Book

By David [email protected]

Briefly, this is how the idea of the Art Village got started. I was com

mentating on the Net on some things I had run across, remarking on the crazinessof the world in general. Specificity, I was talking about what I had learned about pottery, and what seemed to be some serious overcharges on some items. I then pointed out how the different problems would then to be solved if all the functions are combined in one organization/

The guy I was writing to said, Great, build it!

Right, other than no money, not a problem. says I.

So, get a grant!

And that stopped me cold - I had never thought of that. Opps, my bad.But understandable, I believe, as not everyone has a history of applying for grants, let alone a working knowledge of the process so, not foremost in the thoughts. So I looked into it and the more I did, the better the possibility looked. Not easy, true, but possible. Lots of work, yes, but there was no law it all had to be done by one person working alone, and not all sequence, not having to be done all at once. Hummm . . .

Ok, locate other people that might be interested in the Art Village. Find a way to build the Art Village by dividing up the different parts of the job.Get creative in what is needed to be done in the startup. Find a way to hand

off parts of the job to other people, whittle the task down to a manageable size.

Collect information. Think. Scheme. Whatever.

One possible approach is to write down what you do, and perhaps get other people to do the same. Do that and you can swap notes.

As there was the potential to have many Art Villages, but I really only wanted one to absorb my energies, so there was plenty of places to go around.

Write down what I have got so far you do, and perhaps get other people t

o join in. Ok, Im doing that here. You feel moved to jump in, great

First project is to find a likely building.

Running alongside that, in the paperwork world, would be an ongoing get grantsteam, to support the project. And possibly, a virtual Gallery or Art Village shop function - A free url / store

http://signup.freeservers.com/

The nature of grants


2/31

There has to be a natural law about this, but Im not quite sure what itis. Probably something like Free money costs too, or whatever. The people who award grants have been approached by hundreds of scam artists each year, so they have some beefy walls in place to guard that money.

And what has happened? Its been a kind of slow motion thing. I am see

ing some progress, but with just me on the job its slow. I need more help. And some different viewpoints.

---

There are a number of other files that are not included in this report,but are available for anyone with web access:

Finding Art Village buildingsArtists can use buildings that some real estate firms may overlook. And

rating Art Village buildings Some will be better than others - but how?

Kiln repairPossible Art Village classesArt Village glassArt Village specialized data basesGetting grants for the Art VillageManaging Art Village donationsConsignment termsAvoiding scamsResources for donated items, like computers.Creating Artists statementsSupply details for the Art Village gift shopOn Montessori schools

Various support files for the Art Village blog, and other support files,too numerous to detail, are found on the blog or the web site.

The current main location of the Art Village on the Web (Yahoo) is:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArtVillage/

The Annex area:

Group home page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArtVillageAnnex

About the Art Village project

By David Smith504 Pulley RoadCumberland City, Tn. 37050

[email protected]

I would like to open up the possibility of your group joining me in thecreation of a combination small business incubator and art colony I call the Art Village. That is not the full extent of the project, but it will do for a st


3/31

arting point. I realize your group may have committed their budget for the year, but The Art Village is a bit too young for money - what I feel I need most atthis point is ideas, critiques and suggestions.

The statement of Art Village theme might be; "To create an supportive environment for artists." The name Art Village is a compromise, from a coin tos

s. It may suggest a place tourists would care to visit.

Here are some notes on call the Art Village. Its projected to be at least partly housed in a unused (no longer used for teaching) surplus school building. The lack of a surplus school building is not a problem because of the nature of the Art Village - it can be done with a number of other local buildings, of almost any type. Surplus school buildings are nice - but not a total requirement.

I feel the lack of a local art colony can be reversed to the benefit ofall parties involved. The plans I have would combine the day to day operationsof the Art Village with the needs of the community. If the first building managed by the Art Village is a surplus school there is a better possibility of posit

ive returns showing up sooner.

Im picking on a school building as an example because it seems to be agood place for the Art Village to start out in. A number of the projected functions, particularly the community support functions, may be reasonably based in such a building. True, I cannot promise positive revenues flow for the building,but the act of putting it to use will soon reduce most of the negative effectsof an empty, unused building. This use has another positive side effect, an empty, unused building ages faster than a building in use. Use of the building as an Art Village would preserve and improve the building for other later functions.

There is a positive effect to the community in getting even a small positive revenues flow for the building. There are also the positive effects of gentrification* happening to a town that supports such a project.

(*Gentrification - the process of transforming an un-prosperous neighborhood into a more prosperous one, for example, through investment in remodeling buildingsor houses.)

In this case, to explain gentrification one person quipped When the artists move in, the rent goes up.

A school building is often owned outright or is on long term leased by the town. While circumstances vary, this usually seems to be the normal state ofaffairs.

But!... The Art Village does not have to be located in any one place.As a matter of fact, there is a strong suggestion in the long run a single location might work against the full function of the Art Village. And of course, theArt Village will start out as a virtual* place. How far that will go would bebased in part on demand.

*Virtual - being something in effect even if not in reality, or not conformingto the generally accepted definition of the term.

Being a virtual place means at least the Art Village could be operatingand accessible worldwide, even before a building was secured. Then the Art Village reaches that stage I do hope to have a building lined up, if not in conversi


4/31

on.

Why does the Art Village eventually need to be in several places? In part this is due to the nature of the artists themselves, and their requirements.The spectrum of Artist ranges from artist as hermit, wanting a very privatestudio location, to the other extreme, the performance artist, who not only wan

ts a studio, they want it in a central, well traveled location, and are almost ready to kidnap people off the street for a on demand audience. And no matterwhat kind of artist, there is a need for gallery space. There are two, possiblythree extremes here. Clearly one building cant serve them all - to say nothing of the shades of artists in between those extremes. And artist studios oftendo not need a prime location, just a cheap one will be fine. The space in the prime location should go to the persons needing it.

But there is no law requiring all Art Village functions to be housed inone place, or in one building, or even! one county. Yes, you might expect thatwould be needed, but recent developments (the Net) have changed that requirement.

How can the Art Village be in several places? The short, noncomplex answer is by doing any linking needed between buildings over the Internet. The hardware and software to do this already exist in several forms, all off the shelfand already owned or purchasable by the artists themselves, if thats called for.

This clearly sets the stage for a diverse, widespread organization, a federation of local groups.

A federation of local groups? Yes, I feel the Art Village will spread, and as it does so, the local branches will start to have different make ups, if only from the random mixtures of different artists. This variation could only

help the Art Village system in the long run.

Possible Art Village functions

One possible way to do this is to have some of the mundane things oftenneeded by artists purchased in bulk and held for later use. This function willgenerally be known as stores. The member artists are not required to buy fromthe Art Village stores section, but the lower price, location, and fresh nature of the materials should encourage this.

Of course, there are other support functions the Art Village provides.A loading dock is seldom needed by a single artist, but it is projected to havea full use schedule with a number of artists and businesses on site. In other words, the artist may need the loading dock only once a month, but the requirements of 30 artists or firms means near daily use for this feature. The existenceof a loading dock might be of use to local people as well.

And the Small Business Incubator?

It should not be too surprising that space of interest to an artist is a

lso of interest to a small business owner after all, art is a small business, in a way. So I project the function of the

Art Village

be combined with thefunction of a small business incubator as well - to provide the largest numbe


5/31

r of renters possible, and to make the venue as useful and complete as possible.Having two somewhat different groups would let the Village go after grants tha

t may change in their availability, as time changes the political landscape.

Another possible empowerment is to have a collection of artists with activities that naturally support each other. I plan to offer more than just the r

ental of space, as I have encountered in a number of ways the blending of the different needs of artists.

In short, I hope to encourage artists that have overlapping needs or functions then help those overlapping needs get filled. The report assumes, but does not require, the project being started in a rural area. The project might be located in a surplus school or similar building at this point a surplusschool is probably the best starting point.

In the beginning, size is probably more important than type, but all details need to be considered. To paraphrase a famous quote, If you have a buildi

ng, they will come.

The Art Village can start in almost any building. Some will be better than others, and there will be differences among the groups.

With the abilities of the Internet the Art Village doesnt have to be asingle building. Why not combine the Art Village, and a few other things like the small business incubator and other functions, at a surplus / retired public school? While an area may not be able to produce enough artists to fill every one of the school rooms available, a mix of artists and businesses should be ableto fill the rooms, and provide a safe mix in case the economy makes a change against a pure Art Village.

Conditions that might affect one group should not hit the other as hard,and what one needs the other may supply. After all, in a way an artist is a small business, and as such, need support as much as any other small business.If you have only a few tenants, by itself that would be a problem. But with a number of different possible renters the problem may well become a shortage of available space.

Really, I feel this is not a problem. Most features attractive to one group will also be of interest to the other.

An everyday example would be a loading dock. No artist is going to handcarry off a 10 ton block of stone. So, expect a move to have a shipping dock on site, if there is not one already.

In turn, such an item suggests a need for some kind of shipping function, connected to a temporary holding area - - in effect a warehouse in function.From there, its a short step to possibly forming a shipping company, if needed.

An Art Village can have a support function in other ways. For example,a simple product might be a plaster of Paris block for pottery use (a wedging block). A 3$ block of plaster of Paris goes for about $ 100 in a standard potterycatalog. The Art village can provide there items and others for, say, teachersgiving local pottery classes. The teacher could get low cost items for settingup his class, the people attending could have an opportunity to buy such low co

st items as well. The act of using the Art Village as a base of operations provides several real world benefits - teacher has a reduced cost in first time setup and could even get a modest profit on such items.


6/31

And the ability to make such devices means the handicapped person couldtry most aspects of pottery for well under a hundred dollars. This would stretch limited funds for a handicap training program.

Pottery support

There are several pottery support functions the village can supply. Another possible support function would be the mulling of clay. This is best donein large lots, and stored / stockpiled in plastic 55 gallon drums. The need toprocess a large lot of clay would justify and support the purchase of a high capacity Muller (a specialized machine for conditioning pottery clay).

However, the weight of such clay restricts where a clay stockpile can bestored (second floor storage is NOT suggested for this, even if you can get itupstairs!).

A list of possible Art Village functions

Its suggested that an average school has around 20 full size rooms.Some of the uses given here would not take up a full room, so this is only an indication of the possible usage level of a building.

Teaching areasOne or more of the rooms may be retained in the original form, for holdi

ng classes.

Mail box center -The post office does not mind if a mailbox location is set up locally -

indeed, this may free up the pressure for boxes in the local post office. Thiscould both provide a local jobs, and a service to the community.

Employment firm -And just where would that firm locate?. Well, I know of a place, centra

lly located to the local area, with lots of parking, and lots of office space, and a number of locations and small businesses needing workers right at hand. Humm. . . At least one local job right there.

Local Bookkeeper -Having a number of small firms in one place would be of interest to a bo

okkeeper. An on site bookkeeper could offer a lower cost service to the Art Village firms, all gathered in one place. This would provide a local job.

Receptionist -A school starts off with offering access to a number of firms, but throu

gh a receptionist - a gatekeeper in effect - that can be a contact point, eventhough the head of the company is not present at the time. If nothing else this could provide a Helping Hand service (see League of Woman Voters for details) to the community.

Glassblowing


7/31

Both glassblowing and pottery have a need for kilns, but the type of need is close but not identical. It might be possible to use the kilns for both functions with modern insulating materials and programmable controllers to cut down on problems in building or running them. There could be problems with some ofthe compounds baking out and contaminating that particular kiln, so a kiln mayor may not be shareable between the two crafts.

It may also be possible to use other money saving approaches - for example, with an idea of the volume of work needed, you can plan ahead for the numberof kilns ultimately needed, and change the design. Know that and you might beable to build the kilns in a group (the walls touching) to save on the heat losses through the walls, reducing operating costs.

If possible, try to collect artists that have overlapping needs or functions. At least, have an idea of the process or functions that do truly overlap,so those needs can be meant as well.

As a typical example this report assumes (but does not require) an Art V

illage renter who might be building a glassblowing studio.For example, a woodworking artist might be used to make some of the traditional glassblowing tools and molds, which are wood.

A "hot shop" is the most difficult of any glass craft venture, conversely it would provide the greater returns. Lesser glassblowing function shops (bead making, lamp work, blowpipe glassblowing, scientific glassblowing,) would provide almost as many benefits as well. The complex with a glass making furnace atits core (a hot shop) has a number of features that could be shared with other artists, or small businesses. These features include heat output of a furnacealso be used to other, somewhat more mundane uses, like some of the excess heatflow going to a lumber drying kiln outside.

However, activities of a lampworking shop (an intermediate step to a full hot shop) has many of those features as well. For example, a hot shop or lampworking shop might take a step forward and go directly to a tank of cryogenicoxygen to run glassblowing torches. As a low use level tank normally vents excess (not drawn off for use) oxygen, so this same cryogenic oxygen tank could run one, or a number of torches at about the same cost. In short, a cryogenic tank would support a number of torches without shortening the lifetime use of thetank. This could include a oxy-acetylene cutting torch, as well. Such torchesas those are a useful tool, welcome in any shop.

For that matter, any artistic function that involves directed heat would benefit from access to glass blowing torches themselves. Because of the nature of glass, glass blowing torches have to be a superior design and function - they are a great improvement to standard torches. They will work very well for any effort that needs directed heat.

Along the way to making the plans for the Art Village I saw the possibility of other features. The existence of these features depends in part on the building size, the local grounds, and the building features.

For example, a school that had industrial arts classrooms would be set up for woodworking or metal shop work. Those firms that wish to do woodworking or metalwork would be glad to move in to such an area.

The Art Village would also benefit from the presence of an auto mechanic

s shop, if one was there before.


8/31

Related Art village support itemsCommunity fax machine, community copier, other items. Other possible fu

nctions - Depending on demand, there might be an Internet caf, probably in thecafeteria, or possibly a room off the library.

Indoor (heated) Storage areas -

Any unused rooms can be rented out as storage areas. This alone would probably take up any leftover slack.

Day care center -A day care function is a natural add on to the Art Village, and given th

e conditions today there is a real need for it. I feel sure this is a feature sure to be given a positive vote. If this was K to grade school originally, theplayground directed toward younger children should be a bonus. Adding a day care function would insure the items already in place are put to full use. Plus the kids would love it.

Caterer support -Of special interest to a local catering firm would be the full function,

up to code commercial kitchen. A bonus is the day to day steady customers thesite would provide for that service.

The daily customers are the artists that want to eat on site, plus the p

arents who want to spend quality time with their children in the day care center.

Mail box function -Some towns have outgrown their post offices - there is an acute mailbox

shortage. A local Mailbox are Us firm would be welcomed, and could support the functions of the Art Village as well.

Phone Answering service -The school has the office space and the phone lines already in place* to

support this function. There will also be a inter classroom intercom system there as well.

* (standard widespread phone company policy is to run *all* local phone lines into such a building)

This may also include DSL (Internet) access in some cases, or some othercases high speed Internet access

Facially support items -They would include functions like a loading dock, compressed air, oxygen


9/31

systems, Stores on site, shared kilns for pottery and glass or other functions, inside storage, outside storage, and art display areas. Also the informationprovided by the collected Art Village files is also available.

Other functions

The Library area should still have the bookshelves in place. I would suggest against it being broken up, as there are probably better, more positive uses for it in its original form. One such use would be to hold art books donatedto the Art Village.

Local townspeople could donate books to provide raw materials for the general library. Such a facility will be slowly restocked with donated books andcould also attract grants for books. It will also provide a place for a retiredcouple to start a paperback business store.

As there will be office space on site, with the possibility of use by anumber of local firms

The auditorium is something that should not be broken up. There are a number of functions possible in the original space that would work best with theroom in its original form.

Still more Other functions

Depending on the building and grounds - the display of artwork and community projects. This might include local functions that were using the grounds before the Art Village was established.

The Art Village may also be a business anchor for some functions thatare a bit hard to describe. For example; retirement homes have a number of people joining them, with a number of still valuable items they might wish to donate. Frequently they might have life experiences, tools, musical interments or similar items for donation to the Village.

Life experiences? Yes. I suggest you read the Fox Fire books to understand this.

In some cases the Village can be a clearing house to do nothing more than bring such people together.

Emergency functions and community support

Local support of the community is another possible function of the Art Village - for example, stand by church for use in case the original becomes damaged. Community support can also come from providing a location for the Red Cross, or for groups providing community support.

* (The Red cross states one of the needs for disaster center is a large building, of course, but other items like storage space and available communications isalso given as a needed item.)

As support for the Art Village, I have collected a large and diverse amount of facts and information I plan to make available as a special data base. This information, presented as an Internet data base, could provide support to ar


10/31

tists worldwide. In effect this would create a virtual Art Village almost overnight.

Having a good showroom is one possibility, and having a number of artists showing their wares in one place will tend to justify trips from patrons, encouraging extended visits by patrons, providing benefits somewhat like having an u

pscale shopping mall in the area.

* Do you have an incredible, new idea that could change your community, country,or world?

* Are you an entrepreneur who won

t rest until your idea has been brought to life? Or a leader who has recently started an organization to do just that?

If so, apply for an Echoing Green Fellowship. You could receive up to $90,000 in

seed funding and support to launch a new organization that turns your innovative idea for social change into action.

Follow in the footsteps of the founders of Teach For America, City Year, and over 400 other social change organizations and apply online by December 1, 2006.

Watch the video: http://www.echoingg reen.org/ video

---

The Art Village

Here are some notes on the project I call the Art Village. Because there is nothing hidden about it, a wide range of people can contribute to differentparts of this project without problems. Because there are no secrets, a personcan work to promote it openly and there will be no duplication of effort. Youll need someone to manage a list of tasks for people to pick from.

The Art Village is a local,

do it yourself

art colony that also has aspects of a small business incubator and other community services. Why ? To give back to the community.

Ok, whats a small business incubator? Consider, a home based businessthat starts to get bigger begins to outgrow the basement. Too big for the basement, too small for a building, where can it go? Thats one reason the Art Village has a small business incubator function, as in a way, artists have a similarproblem.

The groups uses the Net to maintain contact between users or chapters ina kind of

federation

of artists and small businessmen.


11/31

Depending on the decisions of local chapters, even non-members will havesome access to those chapter files. The Art Village is not based on secrets, but makes day to day operations open to all.

Of course, a lot of this will depend on the correct use of the Internet.There are hundreds of search engines and indices, but only eight that really m

atter. They are:

Yahoo!, AltaVista, Excite, WebCrawler, MSN, Infoseek, Lycos, and HotBot.

All the others might account for 1% of traffic, combined. So, if yourepositioned in the top eight, youre doing fine.

In any case. I would like to open up the possibility of you joining me in the creation of a combination small business incubator and art colony. That is not the full extent of the project, but it will do for a starting point.

Now we need a lofty statement of the project, a theme statement. The statement of Art Village theme might be; "To create an supportive environment forartists."

Ok, and to help promote the existence of the Art Village there are somecorporate activates to go with that.

The Art Village chapter you work with is local, but it (hopefully) willbecome a part of a national group without loss of identity or effectiveness.

There is a possibility that after we contact xxx older computers willbe donated to the Art Village

Art Village Recycled computers project

Aardvark Computer Service, LTD5360 Arapahoe AvenueBoulder, CO. 80303303-447-3457

Alpha Institute1017 Perth StreetAurora, CO 80011303-343-4114

Colorado Materials ExchangeWebsite: http://www.colorado.edu/cure/COMEX/Campus Box 207


12/31

Boulder, CO 80309303.492.4330FAX 303.492.1897Email: [email protected]

Computers for Kids303-367-9374

Computers for LearningWebsite: http://www.computers.fed.gov/202- 501-3846

Computer Recycling CenterCyert Hall, Room B25Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh, PA 15213Contact: Marc Bartholomew, Coordinator412-268-8609Fax: 412-268-8192

E-mail: [email protected]

Computer Recycling Project479 Bartlett StreetSan Francisco, CA 94110Dale Tersey - Director415-695-7703Email: [email protected] clearinghouse for older computers to go to educationand nonprofit programs to further computer literacy.

Computers and Education Computer Recycling1700 19th Street,San Francisco, CAPhone: 415-643-6200Fax: 707-570-1192WebsiteFax them on your school letterhead stationery and request their Declaration Form.

Verified http://www.giftsinkind.orgGifts in Kind InternationalWebsite: http://www.giftsinkind.orgTele-fax library: 888-288-4043PO Box 18002Merrifield, VA 22118-0002Email: [email protected]

National Cristina Foundation1-800-CRISTINA (274-7846)203-406-8000

Fax: 203-406-9725181 Harbor DriveStamford, CT 06902-7474


13/31

Email: [email protected]

PC Brokers1911 11th Street, Suite 105Boulder, CO 80302303-449-2267

Fax: 303-449-2267WebsiteTo be included in their list of non-profits looking for computers, please mail or fax the following information: Organziation name, address, phone number, hoursof operationOrganization description, mission statement, and how donated computers would beusedNon-profit status (are donations to the organization tax deductible?)Description of the lowest end computer that would be useful, and if non-workingsystems are acceptable

Provider

s Resource Clearinghouse

Robert D. Ridgeway, Executive Director303-296-8580Fax: 303-296-86253100 Blake StreetDenver, CO 80205-2307Email: [email protected]

Some day to day details

In the beginning its projected to be at least partly housed in a unusedor surplus school building, such as the building currently in Cumberland City,Tn.

I include this information as an example because the Tennessee Board ofEducation claims there are no surplus schools anywhere in Tennessee. None. Hummm However, personal experience cant support this. In a way, this is an example of what you will find.

In any case, the lack of a surplus school building is not a deal stopperbecause of the nature of the Art Village - aspects of it can be done with a number of other buildings, of almost any type. Surplus school buildings are nice,meeting many requirements - but are not a total requirement.

As you may already know there are a very few art colonies in western Tennessee, and only a few in the areas over the state boarder. I feel this condition can be reversed to the benefit of all parties involved. The plans I have would combine the day to day operations of the Art Village with the needs of the community. Its just that if the first building managed by the Art Village is a surplus school, there is a better possibility of positive returns showing up sooner.

Im picking on a school building because it seems to be a good place forthe Art Village to start out in. A school is a large, well made, centrally located, unused, multifunction building that the town is probably still paying offon.

A number of the projected functions, particularly the community supportfunctions, may be reasonably based in such a building. True, I cannot promise p


14/31

ositive revenues flow for the building, but the act of putting it to use will soon reduce most of the negative effects of an empty, unused building. This use has another positive side effect, an empty, unused building ages faster than abuilding in use, and that part will stop. Use as an Art Village location wouldpreserve for the town the building for other uses when or if the Art Village moves out.

There is a positive effect to the community in getting even a small positive revenues flow for the building. There are also the positive effects of gentrification* happening to a town that supports such a project.

(*Gentrification the process of transforming an un-prosperous neighborhood of buildings needing repair into a more prosperous one, for example, through investment in remodeling buildings or houses.)

In this case, to explain gentrification one person quipped When the artists move in, the rent goes up.

Of course, whatever hiring the Art Village does is going to be local. The money spent on these activates is going to stay local. The money generated by the functioning Art Village will tend to stay locally as well.

A school building is often owned outright or long term leased by the town. While circumstances vary, this usually seems to be the normal state of affairs.

The Art Village does not have to be located in any one place. As a matter of fact, there is a strong suggestion in the long run a single location might

work against the full function of the Art Village.

Why does the Art Village eventually need to be in several places? In part this is due to the nature of the artists themselves, and their requirements.The spectrum of Artist ranges from artist as hermit, wanting a studio location with no visitors, to the other extreme, the performance artist, who not onlywants a studio, they want it in a central, well traveled location, and are almost ready to kidnap people off the street for a on demand audience. There aretoo extremes here. Clearly one building cant serve these two extremes, to saynothing of the shades of artists in between. But there is no law requiring allArt Village functions to be housed in one place, or in one building. Yes, you might expect that would be needed, but recent developments (the Net) have changedthat.

How can the Art Village be in several places? The short, noncomplex answer is by doing any linking needed over the Internet. The hardware and softwareto do this already exist in several forms, all off the shelf and already ownedor purchasable by the artists themselves, if that is called for.

Possible Art Village functions

What artist support functions, you may ask. Well... For one, keeping t

rack of local restrictions that artists may encounter.

A support function of the Art Village is to put a break on some of the s


15/31

cams an artist gets hit with. The Art Village can pass on the experiences of one artist to other artists. This may not stop the first instance of a brand newscam, but it does let the existence of the scam be known, and perhaps even alertauthorities to what is happening.

One important function of any Art Village is to pass on the experiencesof one artist - good or bad - to all other artists. Because they would all be on the Internet, that is possible.

This function will grow in effectiveness as more Art Village chapters come on line in different areas.

Art Village as tourist attraction

Come in and see artists at work. And shop as well.

Art Village as a Stores provider

Company store function - sell lower cost items to the people who have come to tour the grounds. One possible way to do this is to have some of the mundane things often needed by artists purchased in bulk and held for later use. This function will generally be known as stores. The member artists are not required to buy from the Art Village stores section, but the lower price, location, and fresh nature of the materials should encourage this.

Local services

Of course, there are other support functions the Art Village provides.For example - a loading dock.

A What?

A loading dock is seldom needed by a single artist, but it is projectedto have a full use schedule with a number of artists on the site, and might alsobe put to use by the town and locals if needed.

In other words, an artist may need the loading dock only once a month, but the requirements of 30 artists or firms in the Village means near daily use for this feature. The existence of a loading dock might be of use to local people as well.

A small business incubator

So I project the function of the

Art Village

be combined with the function of a small business incubator as well - to provide the largest number ofrenters possible, and to make the venue as useful and complete as possible. Having two somewhat different groups (art and business /economics) would let the Village go after grants that may change in their availability and importance, as time changes the political and economic landscape.

Artists support other artists


16/31

Another possible empowerment is to have a collection of artists with activities that naturally support each other. I plan to offer more than just the rental of space, as I have encountered in a number of ways the possibility of blending the different needs of artists.

In short, I hope to encourage artists that have overlapping needs or f

unctions then help those overlapping needs get filled. The report assumes, but does not require, the project being started in a rural area. The project might be located in a surplus school or similar building at this point a surplusschool is probably the best starting point.

I use the word surplus school in quotes, as after talking to the Boardof Education I am assured there are no surplus schools anywhere in Tennessee- except that I live in Steward county, Cumberland City, with just such a schoolbuilding not more than two block from my house. Opps. This school hasnt hada graduating class in at least 19 years now. For a time it was rented out for acommercial use after it was closed - but is not surplus, its claimed by theBoard of Education to still be under lease by the community. To date I have not

been able to find a term that will help me find the location of such buildingsthat clearly do exist in other places as well. A little burecacucy stonewalling seems to be going on here. Other people may have better luck on this.

But with the baby boomers reaching maturity, there are more and more school buildings closing down across the nation.

In the beginning, size is probably more important than type, but all details need to be considered. To paraphrase a famous phase, If you have a building, they will come. Fine, but what they do when they get there is at least partly shaped by the building.

With the abilities of the Internet it doesnt have to be a single building anymore. Why not combine the Art Village, and a few other things like the sm

all business incubator and other functions, at a surplus or retired public school? While an area may not be able to produce enough artists to fill every oneof the school rooms available, a mix of artists and businesses should be able tofill the available rooms, and provide a safe mix in case the economy makes a change against a single feature of the Village.

Conditions that might affect one group should not hit the other as hard,and what one needs the other may supply. After all, in a way an artist is a small business, and as such, need support as much as any other small business.If you have only a few tenants, by itself that would be a problem. But with a number of different possible renters the problem may well become a shortage of available space in the Village building. Really, I feel this is not a problem. Most features attractive to one group will also be of interest to the other.

An everyday example would be a loading dock. No artist is going to unload and hand carry off, say, a 10 ton block of stone. So, expect a move to havea shipping dock on site, if there is not one already.

In turn, such an item suggests a need for some kind of shipping function, and temporary holding area - in effect, a warehouse in function. From there,its a short step to possibly forming a shipping company, if needed.

An Art Village can have a support function in other ways. For example,a simple product might be a plaster of Paris block for pottery use. A 3$ blockof plaster of Paris goes for about $ 100 in a standard pottery catalog. The ArtVillage can provide there items and others for, say, teachers giving local pott

ery classes. The teacher could get low cost items for setting up his class, thepeople attending could have an opportunity to buy such low cost items as well.The act of using the Art Village as a base of operations provides several real


17/31

world benefits - the teacher has a reduced cost in first time setup, and the Village and the teacher could even get a modest profit on selling such items.

Of course, the Art Village will from time to time host seminars and classes, so some of the rooms in the Art Village will start out as classrooms, and will stay classrooms - no conversions needed there.

Given that finding an average is a bit hard, I will go out on a limb abit and say an average school has 20 rooms, more or less.

Also, there is not a standard size room, or a standard size use, mightIt would be best that we go on a one use, one room standard.

Other facts threaten to get in there. For example, do you need public access to the room?

Starting a new Montessori school is a complex process

You should understand from the beginning that the name Montessori refersto a method and philosophy, but not a copyright protected name or franchising program. In many parts of the world, anyone who wishes to can open a school andcall it Montessori with no knowledge of how an authentic program is organized orrun. This is sometimes embarrassing for those of us as educators and parents who understand all too well the difference. Most of these schools fail, but often not before they harm the general image of other Montessori schools in their community.

Montessori schools are different, profoundly different, from the familiar traditional classrooms that most of us attended in our childhood years. Thoseof us who have spent years around Montessori children know that Montessori work

s! While the average person has heard of Montessori, most know little about itand have conflicting impressions of what Montessori reflects. This is nothing new or unique to our country. It has been the case since Dr. Montessori opened her first school outside Rome in 1907.

Some people rave about Montessori, others think that parents must be nuts to puttheir children in a Montessori school.

Some are firmly convinced that Montessori is too rigid and robs children of their creativity, while others object that it is completely unstructured and withoutany academic standards.

"Isn

t Montessori the sort of school where they allow the children to do and learn whatever they want, whenever they want? Perhaps it will work for your littleSally, but I

m afraid that if my Danny were left to his own devices, he

d neverchoose to do a lick of schoolwork! He needs order, structure, a small-class size, and discipline!"

Having spent more than thirty years leading Montessori schools, I

ve tried to help parents sort all this out so they could reassure themselves that Montessori isn

t going to leave their children academically handicapped unable to make it inthe real world. Most of the parents that I

ve know are sympathetic and enthusia

stic, but it is still difficult for them to defend their decision to send theirchildren to Montessori when the rest of the world seems so completely committedto a very different approach to raising children.


18/31

Having made the decision to purchase this book or attend our course in startinga new Montessori school, you are presumably seriously considering the idea of opening your own school.

This is a daunting task. It requires a great deal of work, the investment of a year or longer, and a considerable amount of money. It is not something to be undertaken lightly.But, like any knowledge, it is easier to learn if you have a guide who has beenthere before. While this book cannot do your homework for you, nor avoid the necessity of putting in countless hours of hard work, planning, and decision making, it should make the nature of your journey more easily understood, and may actually make the process easier for you and your fellow founders.You will have a long list of decisions to make and milestones to accomplish, including:

1. Either becoming trained as a Montessori teacher or hiring a Montessori teacher who can organize and open the program2. Developing a business plan3. Finding a site for your school4. Securing the permits and zoning required to operate a school in your area5. Gathering the capital needed to purchase the Montessori materials for each class, along with office equipment and other costs6. Recruiting the families7. Establishing the day to day systems to run the school8. Creating a school culture in which everyone, students, teachers, and familiesunderstand and follow a set of set of basic ground rules.

In most cases, Montessori schools tend to exist on a very fragile year-to-year existence if they lease space or have less than 100 students paying an appropriate tuition that allows you to do the job right. They tend to become financiallymore comfortable and stable at 150, and, despite a common misperception that larger schools necessarily lose their sense of community, experience strongly suggests that an enrollment of between 250 and 400 students on one campus is ideal.

Some people prefer to organize a school made up of two or more smaller campuses(less than 200 students).

Many think of Montessori as an early childhood program, and are reluctant to venture into the more difficult and expensive venture of establishing an elementaryprogram. Montessori as a method extends up through the secondary level, howeverin communities where parents (or the local department or ministry of education)expect to find a traditional education, it is common to see Montessori schoolsthat stop at age 6 or sometimes age 10 or 12.

A major challenge is to gather sufficient funds to appropriately capitalize yournew venture.

A second is the great lack of trained and experienced Montessori leaders who arewilling and capable of building and running new schools. Often schools compromise with either a parent or other non-Montessori trained educator who seems to sh


19/31

are the Montessori philosophy and vision, or an experienced Montessori teacher who is anxious to learn how to lead a school.

The Center for Montessori Leadership

You may be interested to know that Montessori is sometimes known as the

"school for entrepreneurs." This is because this highly unusual approach encourages children to be independent, resourceful, and self motivated. It teaches children to think for themselves, to think outside of the box, and to think about others. Unlike traditional schools, which drill children to memorize information and give it back on demand, Montessori teaches children to become joyful scholarsand innovators, traits not loved in authoritarian schools, but highly admired in some circles of enterprise.

Starting a school is a complex process, like opening any business. Here is a somewhat expanded list of tasks to be accomplished.

Exploration of a wide range of models used by successful schools Defining your schools identity and core values Deciding on the legal structure of your schoolSecuring the licenses and permits that you will need to operate Resolving any zoning issues with your prospective school location Conducting some sort of marketstudy Development of a business plan Finding facilities for your school Preparing a financial plan, which includes: Determining your potential income Setting up your initial budget Establish systems and policies for managing your financesEstablishing your student - teacher ratios Projecting salaries Projecting enrollment - tracking enrollment patterns Setting tuition and fees Gathering capital or financing Projecting cash flow Determining your staffing requirements and recruitment strategies Defining the skills and interests describe your ideal staff member? Where will you find your staff members? Establishing the salaries that yo

u can offer Recruiting new students and retaining them over the years Establishing a sense of community Establishing policy Developing a plan for your educational leadership Curriculum Development of a plan for program evaluation Coordinating several different classrooms Communicating to families about their children

sdevelopment Organizing parent education programs Health and safety issues Developing a plan for internal and external public relations Setting up and working with your board (nonprofit schools)

Every year we offer a wide range of online distance learning courses on the entire gamut of designing and leading a Montessori school through our Center for Montessori Leadership.Our online Montessori Leadership Courses use state-of-the-art distance learningtechnology. Today, the options available to us include:v Recorded talks presented as video files that students can see whenever theywant on their computersv Recorded talks downloaded as MP3 files to participants IPodsv Videos of school campusesv Sample forms, files, and a host of documents, from parent handbooks, curriculum guides, enrollment agreements, health forms, and so on that may it far easier to structure a school effectively from the startv Digital images of ads and brochures used by schoolsv Recommended lists of materials, suppliers, and budget templates.

v Files that will be helpful in preparing your business planv Video recordings of radio ads designed for schoolsv Audio recordings of cable TV ads designed for schools


20/31

v Links to excellent school websitesv Reflections on their schools experience shared by admissions directors andHeads of Schoolsv Case studiesv Online EBooksv Links to excellent marketing resources on the webv Thoughtful dialog among the participants done online in forums and in live

conference callsv Collaborative projects and assignments that will lead to specific resourcesand outcomes helpful to each participants schoolCheck our website, www.montessori.org or look in the current issues of Tomorrows Child or Montessori Leadership magazines for a list of upcoming seminars.For example, three times a year we offer an intensive eleven-week course on starting a new Montessori school. Here is some basic information.The Montessori Leadership InstituteBuilding A World-class Montessori School - Step by Step

Dates: Fall, 2006 (October 2 - December 11)Location: Your office or home, on your computer!Time: Set your own schedule, working on weekly learning activities and projectsthat will directly benefit your school next year. You should expect to invest atleast ten hours a week reading the extensive course materials, viewing online video presentations or listening to audio mp3 files on your IPod, collaborating with fellow students and Montessori Foundation, Tim Seldin, and working on the development of your new school. While schools can vary to a great degree, almost everything covered will be directly applicable to your school, if not in year one, in the near future.

Do you have vacation planned during this period? No problem. While it is best toparticipate with the entire group in ongoing discussions, You can either work from your hotel room, or catch up when you return.

Some of the advantages of distance learningNo travel and hotel costsCourse are spread out over eight weeksYou can set your own weekly schedule - there is no need to be on line at a specific timeMulti-modality presentations video and audio which you can replay whenever wishA printable ebook copy of Organizing A New Montessori School by Tim Seldin (1400+ pages)Access to an extensive collection of resource files that will be invaluable in organizing your new school, including business plans, finances, staffing, marketi

ng and admissions, facilities, educational program, parent relations, board issues (nonprofit schools), ownership issues (for profit schools), banking relations, insurance, risk management, health and safety, fund raising, and much more.


21/31

A collaborative community of colleaguesThe course blends experience, wisdom, and practical application focused on yourschoolIndividual coaching from Montessori Foundation President, Tim Seldin

Course descriptionA school is nothing but people. It lives in their hearts and minds. A great school is group of people acting in accordance with a common set of beliefs and values, who feel a sense of commitment to each other and to the institution.Organizing a new Montessori school is a daunting task. It requires a great dealof work, the investment of a year or more, and a considerable amount of money. It is not something to be undertaken lightly.

How to Organize a New and Successful Montessori School is a highly practical distance learning program designed to provide invaluable guidance and support. While we can

t do your homework for you, nor avoid the necessity of putting in countless hours of hard work, planning, and decision making, this program will help you go through the process successfully.How to Organize a New and Successful Montessori School is in part an introduction to the theory of Montessori school organization, finances and operations, andin part a step-by-step guide and vast library of resources that can save you countless hours of struggle and aggravation in getting your new school started on asound foundation.

The heart of the program is on-going individual consultation with Montessori Foundation President, Tim Seldin, normally spread out over a year, to help you to develop your business plan and address your questions and concerns as you begin to organize your school. Consultation may be scheduled at mutually convenient times.This online course offers a clear introduction to the issues and tasks involvedin the organization of a new Montessori school.Topics include:The Montessori legacyThe fundamental nature of independent schoolsDevelop and/or refine your schools institutional mission and blueprint

a. Board/staff retreatsb. Involvement of other stakeholdersc. On-going institutional self-study/accreditation

Preparing your basic business planFinding initial spaceCapital needed to get started and survive your first few years

Developing a family-friendly schoolEstablishing your program model(s)


22/31

Curriculum

a. Developmentb. Coordination among two or more classesc. Pre-established and spontaneously created curriculumd. Curriculum guides & schedules of key projects, units, and themes

Financial planning and management

Determining your potential incomea. Student - teacher ratiosb. Staff salary scalesc. Projecting enrollment - tracking enrollment patternsd. Setting tuition structures and feese. Charge enough to do the job right - Montessori is not a commodityf. Explore every possible source of incomeg. Financial aidh. Collecting tuition

Develop your expense budgeta. Identify your fixed costsb. Establish variable costsc. Equipping your classes

Cash flowSources of capital

Role of the HeadThe administrative officePolicy as a leadership tool

a. Policy as values and perspectivesb. Leadership through policies

Build with the best - Finding the right employees

a. Organizing for results - job descriptionsb. The 3 elements in finding the right fit between applicant and jobc. Staff evaluation - the clinical supervision method

Recruit and retain the right families and children

a. Who are the children that you can serve very well?b. How will you recognize the right familiesc. Marketing strategiesd. The admissions processe. Orienting your new families

Keeping parents (and staff) informed

a. Newslettersb. Class and Community meetingsc. People nightsd. Fireside chatse. Parent-teacher conferencesf. Reporting student progressg. Standardized testsh. Homeworki. Parent Ed

j. Tomorrows Child magazineBuildings and grounds


23/31

a. Developing a pattern languageb. Master plansc. Finding space for programsd. Modular buildingse. Creative strategies to pay for constructionf. Developing a maintenance schedule for the yearg. Janitorial

School law

a. Recordsb. Safetyc. Child abused. Insurance

Creating an atmosphere in which your school will flourish

a. Getting your community involved through volunteer effortsa1. The needs of todays parentsa2. Break projects down into short and easily accomplished tasksa3. Strategic planning

Board-run schoolsa. What does non-profit status really mean?b. The two types of non-profit boardsc. Role and responsibilities of trusteeshipd. Relationship to the head and staffe. Make-up of the board - Selecting trusteesf. Committees of the boardg. Three stages of board development

Board Bored beyond belief!!! What goes wrong with most boards

a. Time spent on the trivialb. Short-term bas

c. Reactive stanced. Reviewing, rehashing, redoinge. Leaky accountability - Board bypassing the CEO to deal directly with sta

fff. Diffuse authority - Everyday staff and administrative decisions made at

board level

Developing an effective BoardGetting serious about trusteeship

a. Confidentialityb. Focus not on special interests or self-interest, but good of institutionc. Board spouses and friendship circlesd. Relationship with CEOe. Evaluation of CEOf. Board self-evaluationg. Big donors and highly influential trustees on your board

Making meetings work - Board process

a. The CEO and staffs roleb. Dos and donts with boardsc. Choosing the issues - setting prioritiesd. Using committees effectivelye. The decision-making process

f. E Pluribus unum - encouraging different perspectivesg. Finally achieving unum


24/31

Fund raisinga. Annual campaignsb. Special eventsc. Corporate partnershipsd. Capital campaignse. Planned giving

Planning for your departure or retirementa. Strategies for untangling your finances from the school - land purchases

, etc.b. Empowering an independent boardc. Transitioning to headmaster/headmistress emeritus

Institute Leader

Montessori Leadership Institutes are led by Tim Seldin, President of the Montessori Foundation and Chair of the International Montessori Council. His more than35 years of experience in Montessori education includes 22 years as Headmasterof the Barrie School in Silver Spring, Maryland, his own alma mater (age 2 through high school graduation). He was the cofounder and Director of the Institutefor Advanced Montessori Studies. He also served as Director of the Foundation

sLab School, the New Gate School in Sarasota, Florida. Tim Seldin earned a B.A. in History and Philosophy from Georgetown University, an M.Ed. in Educational Administration and Supervision from The American University, and his Montessori certification from the American Montessori Society. He is the author or co-author of several books and hundreds of articles, including The Montessori Way, The World in the Palm of Her Hand, Celebrations of Life, Building a World-Class Montesso

ri School. Developing a Summer Program for Your Montessori School, Finding the Perfect Match-Recruit and Retain Your Ideal Enrollment, Master Teachers - Model Programs, and Organizing a New Montessori School. He also served for many years on the Board of the American Montessori Society.

Registration:Leadership Institutes are small group, intensive, and collaborative learning experiences, and enrollment is limited to 15 participants. Participants will be encouraged to explore issues that they are currently working on at their schools.Many have described the experience as individual school consultation for a muchlower cost, with the added advantage of the shared perspectives and experienceof the other leaders participating in the course.Registration Fees for Non-IMC Members:Tuition for the 11-week course is $1,250 for the first person from a school/$1,000 for each additional person enrolling from the same school.Registration Fees for School and Individual Members of the International Montessori Council (IMC).Attendees sponsored by a school in development that is a school member of theInternational Montessori Council will receive a 10% discount: $1,125 for the fir

st person from an IMC affiliated school/$900 for each additional person coming from the same IMC member school.


25/31

For more information about IMC membership, please call 800-655-5843.

Refunds and Cancellations:

The Montessori Foundation maintains the right to cancel courses if there is insufficient enrollment. If a course is canceled, all registrants will receive a fu

ll refund of all fees paid. Registrants requesting a refund prior to commencement of the seminar must notify The Montessori Foundation in writing at least twoweeks prior to the seminar in order to receive a refund.Have a question or need more information? Please contact Tim Seldin at the Montessori Foundation at 800-583-5843 (941-729-9565) for more information or email [email protected]

Tim Seldin President, The Montessori FoundationChair,The International Montessori CouncilPO Box 1302400 Miguel Bay Drive

Terra Ceia Island, FL 34250-0130941-729-9565 941-729-9594 (fax)email [email protected]

Possible production support functionsPottery and ceramics

Pottery is a popular function that is sure to be in most Art Villages.Another possible artist support function of the Art Village would be the mullingof clay - done as raw product production. This is best done in large lots, andstored / stockpiled in plastic 55 gallon drums. The need to process a large lo

t of clay would justify and support the purchase of a high capacity Muller. A high capacity muller means the lowest amount of time for a person to be on hand to process the clay. It also means the machine can be left uncleaned overnight without drying up as a smaller machine would. By itself this not a huge advantage, but these things do add up. A high capacity muller could discharge a log of processed clay directly into a 55 gallon drum lying on its side. A plastic open top 55 gallon drum is a great way to store processed clay.

A high capacity muller requires the kind of high capacity power lines the Art Village would have if it started as a school. A facility with industrialwiring and power can support the power usage of such large machines.

Once mulled, the clay is best stockpiled by storing in open top 55 gallon drums, which among other things keeps the conditioned clay in a ready state.The Art Village will know they will be dealing with a number of such items and will have speculated equipment for handling and storing them.

However, the weight of such items restricts where a clay stockpile can be stored (second floor storage is NOT suggested for this, even if you can get itupstairs!). A 55 gallon drum of clay is not light. The size of muller recommended for the Art Village could easily turn out some 50 or so such containers ina standard batch.

High speed Internet access company -

Chances are the area does not have the level of Internet access people w


26/31

ant. This, plus a growing need at the Village will be a general need for more Internet access for the firms and artists at the Village. This can be a good reason for a larger than normal capacity Internet access line, and an opportunity to support a company providing such access. I suggest you look into trying for the next higher capacity line.

A T1 line will do the job for the immediate period, certainly, but those

Internet needs are sure to grow over time. You may want to add a second T1 line, or possibly look at doing a T3 line. An Internet support company? I know ofa place, centrally located to the local area, with lots of parking, great location, lots of office space, and a number of locations and small businesses needing such services, all right at hand.

Mail box center -The post office does not mind if a separate mailbox location is set up l

ocally - indeed, this may free up the pressure for boxes in the local post office.

Employment firm -And just where would that employment firm locate? Well, I know of a pla

ce, centrally located to the local area, with lots of parking, and office space,and a number of locations and small businesses needing workers right at hand.Humm. . .

Bookkeeping firm -Having a number of small firms in one place would also be of interest to

a bookkeeper. An on site bookkeeper could offer a lower cost service to theArt Village firms, all gathered in one place. Sure saves on gas that way.

Other servicesA school starts off with offering access to a number of firms, but throu

gh a receptionist - a gatekeeper, in effect - that can be a contact point even though the person is not present at the time.

Economics of scale

Both glassblowing and pottery have a need for kilns, but the type of need is not identical. It might be possible to use the kilns for both functions with modern insulating materials and programmable controllers to cut down on problems in building or running them. There could be problems with some of the compounds baking out and contaminating that particular kiln.

It may also be possible to use other money saving approaches - for example, with an idea of the volume of work needed, you can plan ahead for the numberof kilns ultimately needed. Know that, and you might be able to build the kilns in a group (the walls touching) to save on the heat losses through the walls.

If possible, try to collect artists that have overlapping needs or functions. At least, have an idea of the process or functions that do truly overlap,so those needs can be meant as well.

As a typical example this report assumes (but does not require) an Art Village renter who might be building a glassblowing studio. A woodworking artistmight be used to make some of the traditional glassblowing tools and molds, whi


27/31

ch are made of wood.

A "hot shop" is the most difficult of any glass craft venture, conversely it would provide the greater returns of any glass venture. Lesser glassblowing function shops would provide almost as many benefits as well, including the need for kilns to anneal glass. The complex with a glass making furnace at its core has a number of features that could be shared with other artists, or small bu

sinesses. These features include heat output of a furnace that also be used toother, somewhat more mundane uses, like some of the heat flow going to a lumberdrying kiln outside.

However, activities of a lampworking shop (an intermediate step to a full hot shop) has many of those features as well. For example, a hot shop or lampworking shop might take a step forward and go directly to a tank of cryogenicoxygen to run glassblowing torches. As a low use tank normally vents excess (not drawn off for use) oxygen, this same cryogenic oxygen tank could run one, ora number of torches at about the same cost. In short, a cryogenic tank would support a number of torches without shortening the lifetime use of the tank. This could include a oxy-acetylene cutting torch, as well. Such torches as those

are useful in any shop.

For that matter, any artistic function that involves directed heat would benefit from access to glass blowing torches themselves. Because of the nature of glass, glass blowing torches have to be a superior design and function. They will work very well for any effort that needs directed heat.

Along the way to making the plans for the Art Village I saw the possibility of other features. The existence of these features depends in part on the building size, the local grounds, and the building features.

For example, a school that had industrial arts classrooms would be set up for woodworking or metal shop work. Those respective firms would be glad to m

ove in to such an area.

Related Art Village support itemsInternet caf

There are support items such as a community fax machine, community copier, and other items. Other possible functions - depending on demand, there mightbe an Internet caf, probably in the cafeteria, or possibly in the library.

A teen club is another possible function. That is not totally containedto the Art Village.

Local youth club

As requested by local interests or needs.

Local museum

Some locations may have a need for a local museum. This would be on the

public access side.


28/31

The local library

Other possible functions - depending on demand, local need, or buildingdesign there might be a local free public library. This would be on the publicaccess side. And there could be a paperback book store

Day care center -A day care function is a natural add on to the Art Village, and given th

e conditions today there is a real need for it. I feel this is a feature sure to be given a positive vote. If this is was K to grade school originally, the playground directed toward younger children should be a bonus. Adding a day carefunction would insure the items already in place are put to full use. Plus thekids would love it.

With a day care center in place, or just because of the nature of the building, its possible a Montessori school might also find this location of interest.

Montessori school notesIts difficult to give generalities. It will depend on many factors, inc

luding size of the classrooms (1500 + sq is highly desirable for a Montessori school, although most US states allow a 35 square feet per child ratio). Classrooms should be large enough to hold 24 to 30 children and all the Montessori materials, and allow at least another 1/3 beyond for floor space for children to workon the floor with small rugs.

There should be bathrooms in each classroom (not centralized down a hall). This is very important for children under age 6. An all purpose room for indoor play when the weather prevents them from going out. In other word, keep the gym available for rainy day use by the children.

Bright airy rooms are strongly suggested for Montessori type schools.

Many older schools do not meet current building codes for young children. You may need to install sprinklers, fire doors, etc. Watch out for asbestos,obviously. Lead paint is another possible problem.

Finally you should consider whether your costs of ownership can be covered by a school tenant. Many operate with very limited incomes, which has to dowith a mindset and limited business experience.

Tim Seldom, President, The Montessori Foundation Chair, The International Montessori CouncilPO Box 1302400Miguel Bay DriveTerra Celia Island, FL 34250-0130941-729-9565 941-729-9594 (fax)email [email protected]

Might be able to suggest price as well.


29/31

Caterer support -Of special interest to a local catering firm would be the full function,

up to code commercial kitchen. A bonus is the day to day steady customers thesite would provide for that service.

The daily customers are the artists that want to eat on site, plus the parents who want to spend quality time with their children in the day care center.

Mail box function -Some towns have outgrown their post offices - there is an acute mailbox

shortage. A local Mailbox are Us firm would be welcomed, and could support the functions of the Art Village as well.

Phone Answering service -The school has the office space and the phone lines already in place* to

support this function. There will also be a inter classroom intercom system there as well.

* (standard widespread phone company policy is to run *all* such local phone lines into such a building)

This may also include DSL access in some cases, or some other high speedInternet access through the phone lines.

Facially support items -They could include functions like a loading dock, compressed air, oxygen

system, Stores on site, shared kilns for pottery and glass or other functions, inside storage, outside storage, and art display areas for large items like carved tree trunks.

Other functionsA local library

In getting started the Library area would have no books, but the room should still have the bookshelves in place. I would suggest against it being broken up, as there are probably better, more positive uses for it in its original form. One such use would be to hold art books donated to the Art Village. Another is to be the local library.

Of course it wont be just art books that are donated. Local townspeople could donate books to provide raw materials for the general library. It may start out small, but then, most libraries do that anyway.

Such a facility will be slowly restocked with donated books - It will also provide a place for a retired couple to start a paperback business store.

As there will be office space on site, with the possibility of use by anumber of local firms

The auditorium is also something that should not be broken up. There are a number of functions possible in the original space that would work best withthe room in its original form.


30/31

Still more Other functions

Depending on the building and grounds - a use could be the display of artwork. Another could be community projects or events. This might include local

functions that were using the grounds before the Art Village was established.

As a business anchor for some functions that are a bit hard to describe. For example; Retirement homes have a number of people joining them, but having a number of still valuable items they might wish to donate. Frequently theymight have life experiences, tools, musical interments or similar items for donation to the Village.

In some cases the Village can be a clearing house to do nothing more than bring such people together.

Emergency functions and community support

Local support of the community is another possible function of the Art Village - for example, stand by church for use in case the original becomes damaged (possibly in the gym). Community support can also come from providing a location for the Red Cross, or for other groups providing community support.

* (The Red cross states one of the needs for disaster center is a large building, of course, but other items like storage space and available communications isalso given as a needed item.)

Sometimes just the existence of the organization is enough to get useful

A heavy duty (industrial) propane fired generator free for the hauling was onceoffered to me. I wanted to take it but was under a general NO! for any new additions to the homestead. Damn!

Art Village operations:Donated equipment

There may also be donated computers as a part of Art Village operations

The virtual Art Village used computer center

There is a strong possibility the Art Village will receive donated computers as a part of Art Village operations. I have all ready located a number ofprograms for this.

I have collected information I plan to make available as a special database. This information, presented as an Internet data base, could provide support to local people or worldwide. In effect this would boost the virtual ArtVillage.


31/31

The virtual Art Village information center

As support for the Art Village, I have collected a large and diverse amount of facts and information I plan to make available as a special data base. This information, presented as an Internet data base, could provide support to artists worldwide. In effect this would create a virtual Art Village almost ove

rnight, open to all.

The virtual Art Village store and Art Gallery

Having a good showroom is one possibility, and having a number of artists showing their wares in one place will tend to justify trips from patrons, encouraging extended visits by patrons, providing benefits somewhat like having an upscale shopping mall in the area.

Of course, not all Art Villages will be in a location to support a great

gallery (building not large enough, not located for easy access, act). But that would not stop a virtual gallery from displaying all Art Village art to thepublic. This could be a natural as a shared resource - one gallery for all ArtVillages everywhere - a one stop shopping for art point.

(Because of the function of this service it would not be open to all.)

On being Green

While Im not excessively Green (ecologically supportive) I do feel ecological solutions to problems should be encouraged.

Yours,

David Smith

[email protected]

The main location of the Art Village

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArtVillage/

And then, create a kind of stand by area. Call it the Art Village Annex. Like this:

Group home page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ArtVillageAnnexGroup email address: [email protected]

Starting Art Village

Documents

Transcript of Starting Art Village