SPACES Announces Plans to Move to the Van Rooy Coffee Building

SPACES is pleased to announce the acquisition of the ground floor of the historic Van Rooy Coffee Building, located at 2900 Detroit Avenue. It will join a dynamic group of small businesses and nonprofit organizations in the area, including Transformer Station, Intermuseum Conservation Association, and The Music Settlement.

SPACES will occupy 9,300 square feet at the base of the three-story building. This relocation and renovation effort will expand on the nonprofit’s success in supporting the creation and appreciation of experimental art by increasing its programmatic spaces, art production areas, and educational facilities. Plans include a dedicated classroom space for community engagement initiatives, artist workshop and studio areas, 3 galleries with 13-foot ceilings, and rooftop access with views of Lake Erie that will provide an inspired site for film screenings, performances, and social gatherings.

SPACES has secured its future through a purchase agreement with Fred and Laura Ruth Bidwell, whose successful track record of investing in the neighborhood is evidenced through the Transformer Station, a contemporary art space that draws from their photography collection and also serves as the Cleveland Museum of Art’s contemporary art outpost on the west side of Cleveland.

With 100% invested commitment from the board and staff, SPACES has embarked on a capital campaign with a goal of $2.475 for acquisition, construction, furnishings and equipment, and program-related expenses. An additional goal of $1.025 million is for the SPACES Future Fund, which comprises a cash reserve and endowment. To date, SPACES has raised over $1.4 million, including a lead gift in the form of a $500,000 challenge grant from The George Gund Foundation, which has supported SPACES’ cutting-edge programs and operations since 1997. 

Since arriving in Playhouse Square 38 years ago, SPACES has become an important promoter of contemporary art and artists in Cleveland and beyond. SPACES has welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors with exhibitions, outreach initiatives, and one-of-a-kind programming. With a permanent home in Ohio City, SPACES will serve as an inclusive cultural catalyst in a diverse part of the city, and a launch pad for projects by established and emerging artists.

SPACES will close its doors at its current location on Superior Viaduct in November 2016. Construction on the first floor of the Van Rooy Coffee building will begin as early as the end of May, with a target for a grand opening scheduled for January 2017.

Visit www.SPACElift.SPACESgallery.org to learn more about the project and contribute to the capital campaign.