Page 40 - the NOISE March 2015

ABOVE: A letterpress type cabinet circa 1928, one of many interesting oddities & artistic tools Ms. Densmore has been dutifully collecting.
FROM CENTER: Welding the upper level railing of the Center, which aims to be TED ready; and a snowy entrance to the Milagro, soon to open on Marina Street. PHOTOS BY PAT BEARY
Milagro Arts Center, the newest addition to the Prescott while the building remodel phase is nearly complete,
arts ‘n culture landscape, is set to open its doors to the public in late spring or early summer of this year. The word milagro translates literally as “miracle,” in the english lan- guage. The story behind the community arts center is nearly as miraculous as its name, as I learned when I sat down with co-founder and executive Director, Kristen Densmore.
As is true of many great innovations, the idea for Milagro began with a conversation between two friends over a cup of coffee. Ms. Densmore had completed her graduate stud- ies in photography and was en route from the east coast to Oregon when she stopped in Prescott. “It was winter and my car had over 300,000 miles on it, so I thought it might not be the best time of year to try driving over the Rockies,” laughed Ms. Densmore. so, she stopped in town to visit with friends and prepare for the final leg of her trip.
On January 1, 2013, the day before she was set to leave for Oregon, Ms. Densmore sat down with her old friend Ty Fitzmorris to catch up over a cuppa. According to Ms. Dens- more, it was during that conversation “we discovered we had a shared vision to create a community art space.” encouraged to develop a business plan to explore the viability of the idea, Ms. Densmore unpacked her car and got to work. she’s now been here for over two years and has no plans to move anytime soon.
Ms. Densmore had lived in Prescott before heading off to college. while she loved the town and the community, the artist also wanted to be able to earn a living from her art. when the chance came to combine her arts education and interest in building community, she jumped at it.
Over the next several months, Ms. Densmore and Mr. Fitzmorris sketched out their plans. while they knew they wanted a distinctive name for the center and non-profit orga- nization, it took some time to find the right one. Finally, while sitting in Mr. Fitzmorris’ office, she had a bit of an epiphany.
“I looked up and saw a signed first edition copy of The Mila- gro Beanfield War,” said Ms. Densmore. she suggested calling the space Milagro Arts Center. It seemed a perfect fit as, “this whole thing came about in a way that felt very miraculous.”
some core ideas and values emerged as Ms. Densmore and Mr. Fitzmorris developed their plan for the non-profit. Per- haps the key concept is how the art center would function. Both co-founders had been to art workshops and found their experiences there incredibly valuable. Both also recognized the lack of access to equipment for Prescott area artists as a need that should be met. They ultimately chose to create a hybrid model for Milagro Arts Center that borrows ideas from art workshops like Anderson Ranch in Colorado, as well as some concepts from urban “art gym” style centers.
This combined model means that not only will Milagro be a draw for local artists, but will also eventually offer more
in-depth workshops for artists across the region and the na- tion. Folks just looking for studio space with plenty of equip- ment can essentially rent time in the studio of their choice. For people interested in delving deeper into their field, the workshops will offer an opportunity to expand their horizons.
In the spirit of a true art center, Milagro also has plans in the works to develop a lecture series with the potential to be- come a TeDx venue. In addition, there is a dedicated studio space set aside for an artist in residence. The co-founders are very serious about creating a community center that provides not only a place to work, but a venue that can inspire, as well.
Another vital aspect of the community center is the physi- cal facilities. The co-founders had a pretty specific wish list for the building. In particular, they wanted a place in downtown Prescott, preferably a historic building that also had plenty of parking. This is not an easy order to fill, but another miracle presented itself when a former church at 126 n. Marina street came up for sale in June of 2013. “we couldn’t believe it ... it had everything we were looking for,” said Ms. Densmore.
Milagro Arts Center wanted to preserve as much of the his- toric quality of the building as possible, while simultaneously bringing in 21st century “green” technology. They wasted no time in bringing Bill Otwell on board as the architect for the project. while Mr. Otwell has a stellar reputation for renovat- ing and restoring historic buildings, he also had two key quali- ties that made him the perfect choice.
when the building had been repurposed to house office space in the 1980s, Mr. Otwell had been in charge of the par- titioning. At the time, he hoped someday a new buyer would want to restore the building. He planned the divisions with ease of removal in mind and was pleased to discover, over 30 years later, his plans worked quite well.
even more importantly, Mr. Otwell is very familiar with green building techniques. He was, in fact, one of the first proponents for solar power in the state of Arizona. The board of Milagro Arts Center takes sustainability very seriously and worked closely with Mr. Otwell and in consultation with Tony Brown, Founder and Director of the ecosa Institute. As a re- sult, the center is outfitted with a 22kw photovoltaic array that will provide at least 50% of the power to the building, a metal roof that provides 95% water catchment for use for the ceramic studios and landscaping, and a whole host of other innovative and clean energy upgrades.
Milagro Arts Center is still in the process of acquiring all the necessary equipment. According to Ms. Densmore, the orga- nization will soon be launching an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign. They are seeking to raise monies for everything from lockers to development tanks for photography to an intaglio press. Outfitting a three-story arts center is a huge undertaking, particularly at the scale and quality Milagro is aiming to achieve.
Once Milagro is fully operational, the center will feature stu- dio space and equipment for ceramics, photography, digital arts, multiple forms of printmaking, as well as book making and papermaking facilities, and a fully appointed recording studio. There are also plans for limited drawing and painting studio space.
All of the dedicated studio areas are impressive. Digital photographers, artists and filmmakers will be pleased to know that the digital studio will feature several tricked out iMac computers with access to the full Adobe Creative Cloud cata- logue of software. These programs are on the cutting edge of digital arts technology and are utilized by professional artists.
Ceramists also have plenty to cheer about. In addition to studio space inside the main building, a huge purpose-built kiln shed will house both electric and gas-powered kilns, as well as additional ceramics studio space. The term “shed” is a bit misleading, as the external building is approximately 900 square feet. Constructed with locally sourced adobe blocks, the building also features glass garage doors that provide plenty of natural light and can be raised or lowered for venti- lation. It is a truly beautiful workspace.
Printmakers and photographers should be thrilled to have access to multiple forms of printmaking and plenty of dark room space. extra care has also been given to keep the envi- ronment as free from toxic chemicals as possible, making the work areas that much more pleasant. The list of equipment planned for these areas is truly impressive.
The absolute heart of the matter, though, is more than an idea, a building, an organization or lovely equipment. At its core, Milagro Arts Center is about bringing local people to- gether for creative expression. It’s about opportunity, inspira- tion, community and growth through the universal language of art. This non-profit arts center may well prove to be the miracle needed to kick Prescott’s arts ‘n culture scene to the next level. MilagroArts.org.
| angie johnson-schmit thinks there’s a little bit of miracle inside all of us. prescotteditor@thenoise.us
40 • MARCH 2015 • the NOISE arts & news • thenoise.us