BY ADAM ATKINSONNorth Country This Week

POTSDAM -- With a soft opening Tuesday, April 2, SLC Arts has thrown open the doors of its newly remodeled Creative Spirit Art Center to the public this week.

The organization has operated from a store front on Market Street for more than a year while major rehab and remodel work was underway at the Raymond Street center.

The months-long project has seen the staff at the arts council operating from a smaller space and the move back has been much anticipated.

"We are incredibly excited to move back into our space! It has been over a year now in our temporary location, and we are looking forward to settling back into our home," Katharine Dinneen, SLC Arts artistic executive director, told North Country This Week recently. "There is no doubt that our community of artists and supporters are looking forward to seeing us back in the Creative Spirit Community Arts Center! Staff and volunteers have been working diligently over the past week to move and get the space ready for our soft-reopening on Tuesday, April 2nd."

The freshly overhauled space will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays to Fridays, from 10 to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, and closed on Mondays and Sundays.

The work completed thus far is only Phase 1 of an extensive overhaul of the former Tile Company into a vibrant Gallery space, said Erica Kelso, SLC Arts managing director, in a message to SLC Arts members.

The finished portion of the space includes a modified store area and offices.

"While the completion currently encompasses only a portion of the envisioned space, it represents a substantial leap forward in the project's progression," Kelso said.

The elbow room afforded by the move back will allow the organization to move forward with additional programming.

"We have been incredibly fortunate to partner with other organizations across the county to continue programming while in our temporary space, but we are looking forward to bringing many of these core programs back to the Creative Spirit! Currently, we are offering visual arts, literary, and music programs on a weekly basis. While we couldn't be happier to move back into the building, our time outside of the center has demonstrated a dire need for arts programming outside of Potsdam, and we are also actively working to develop programming for other communities across our region," said Dineen.  

The work thus far has included asbestos abatement, HVAC system modernization, electrical enhancements, plumbing installations, and an elevator for access to the center's downstairs.

"Despite the completion of only a portion of the space, we remain committed to our mission of fostering artistic expression and community engagement. Various classes and community groups will continue to be hosted within the center. Moreover, plans are already underway to inaugurate gallery exhibitions in September, starting with the highly anticipated return of the Creative Partnership show," Kelso said.

Currently only about a 1/3 of the building is usable until additional construction is complete, Dineen said. The next phase will involve the reconstruction of the floor structure on the former Thrift store side, laying the groundwork for further enhancements.

"At this point, we will not have an anticipated completion date for the remaining portion of the project until SLC Arts has secured additional funding. We are actively working to bring in grant funding, but we are still seeking donations from the community to continue this project," said Dineen.

Phase 1 of the project has been funded by SLC Arts' state Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant secured by the village in 2018.

Additional support has come from the Stewart's Foundation's $25,000 donation, a $10,000 grant from the Cloudsplitter Foundation, and $5,000 donations from Community Bank and Price Chopper, $3,500 from St. Lawrence Federal Credit Union and $1,000 from SeaComm.

Those seeking to support the remodel can contact Kelso at erica@slcartscouncil.org or by phone at 315-265-6860.

"The completion of Phase 1 is a pivotal step in the overall renovation of the Creative Spirit Community Arts Center," Dineen told North Country This Week. "We are committed to the vision of this building, which will eventually feature a professional gallery, store, performance hall, education center, rotating artist residency, and our administrative offices."

"Over the next year, we will continue to offer weekly programs, intentionally expand offerings into additional municipalities across St. Lawrence County, administer two regrant cycles which will award $320,000 in arts funding, run our major programs including the North Country Arts Festival and Studio Tour, expand our Gallery Show offerings, and work to strengthen our community connections," she said.