On June 26 the Grand Marais Art Colony completed a much-anticipated purchase of the North Shore Pharmacy building located at 21 W. Highway 61 in downtown Grand Marais.
The building was acquired from Michael and Laura Schwartzwald for $330,000.
Funds to pay for the structure are coming from several sources. The Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) gave a grant for $97,000 through their “Recharge the Range” program. Also, $80,000 was raised from individual donors.
The money received from the IRRRB’s Recharge the Range program will be used toward acquisition and renovation costs.
And while there is still more money needed, Ruth Pszwaro, the artistic director for the Grand Marais Art Colony, said, “We have approached the Blandin Foundation and are liaising with some other prospective funders for additional support toward both the acquisition of the property and its renovation.”
When asked what the Art Colony will do with the new space, Pszwaro answered, “While no decisions are final, we expect to use the space to facilitate our mission of providing arts education in Cook County through more studio and classroom space.
“We also expect to move our existing Gallery Store into this space since our current gallery store is fairly cramped. This move will allow us to showcase more work to support our instructors, students, alumni, and studio renters.”
The expansion is part of the Art Colony’s vision for the future.
“Our long-range plan has always been in support of our mission: To provide services to artists, promote art education, and nurture art in our community by providing an environment for creative excellence. As attendance at Art Colony classes and events has grown, we’ve worked to anticipate future needs, and have been searching for space to expand into for more than five years to achieve our long-term organizational goals,” said Pszwaro.
Will any new employees be hired if the sale goes through?
“We expect to expand our staff as our programs grow, but no new hires are expected immediately. The building will require renovations so we will not be moving in immediately. Our goal is to have some programming in the new buildings in the first half of 2020,” she said.
Will you be open year-round at the pharmacy site?
“Yes. We expect to phase-in the use of our building as renovations and resources permit in the first half of 2020, but as an organization the Art Colony is open year-round, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily at its original home located at 120 Third Ave. W.”
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