It'll take a
little more than road construction to stop the beginnings of a plan
designed to bring local artists together for the betterment of the
community.
Just eight months after being forced to move from its Riverside
home to make way for an off-ramp for the new Fuller Warren Bridge,
the Brooklyn Arts and Design Center red Feb. 23 in the heart of
downtown, an area where many see the next influx of residents and
culture in Jacksonville.
The non-profit organization, now in The Florida Ballet building
at 123 E. Forsyth St., across from the Florida Theatre, manages
studio, office, classroom, event and exhibition spaces and offers an
environment where artists can meet and be inspired.
"We believe that this [center] is going to be one of the very
first things that will be a catalyst for the downtown entertainment
district," said Mactruque, an artist and executive director for the
center.
"You've got people moving in downtown, and this gives the
possibility of things to do. This also ties together San Marco,
Avondale, Riverside, Springfield ... and I think this will
eventually be the place where everything will converge."
Though the center's primary function is as an arts and design
workplace, it also serves as a gallery where artists not supported
by local galleries can display their work in hopes of wider
recognition.
Formerly called the Brooklyn Contemporary Art Center, the
facility was the starting ground for a number of artists who are now
recognized by major local galleries, Mactruque said, and he hopes to
see more of that occur in a short time span.
"This gives local galleries the opportunity to come in and see
artists' work and see the presentation in a professional approach in
a very easy and accessible way," he said.
Funding for the 4,500-square-foot facility was provided through
the Brooklyn Arts and Design Center organization. The price tag is
between $90,000 and $112,000, though the exact number is yet to be
determined, said Mark Rinaman, chairman of the Brooklyn Arts and
Design Center, who sees his work in the community as "just
beginning." A second location is scheduled tothis month off
Stockton and Myra streets in Riverside.
For Rinaman, the downtown locale is not just a matter of
providing a facility that is hip and modern; it is also a means of
bringing media professionals and amateurs out of their homes into a
community that is positive, creative and nurturing.
"In an area such as downtown, you want to have as many cultural
facilities as you can," said Rinaman, an engineer. "This is a sort
of a regional service provider, and if someone lives in Macclenny or
at the beach, they have a reason to drive into downtown
Jacksonville. No one wants to be stuck in a strip mall somewhere,
all alone and shut off from the world."
The center's presence in the downtown district has its creators
optimistic, not just for the future of the facility but for downtown
Jacksonville in general.
"As soon as the housing kicks in downtown, it's not going to be
like the suburbs," Rinaman said. "They [new residents] didn't move
downtown to sit in their house and watch television and get in their
car and drive somewhere. They came down here to see some cool stuff,
and this is one of those little blips on the map that I hope
attracts them."
