Details
Art space moving closer to MSU
• (SCENE) Metrospace, an alternative art space and performance venue, is moving from 303 Abbott Road to 110 Charles St.
• The grand opening for the new location is May 11 and will feature the exhibit "Movement," based on the idea of motion through time featuring rock and experimental electronica music.
• The new venue will have incandescent track lighting and a new concrete floor with a high-gloss finish.
• Fifteen area volunteers have chipped in with the move, putting in about 400 hours of painting, cleaning and floor renovation.
Article Tools
For now, the new home of (SCENE) Metrospace, 110 Charles St., is mostly barren, with the exception of some lumber, a mop bucket and dusty work boot footprints.
The grand opening for the alternative art space and performance venue is set for May 11.
In the meantime, (SCENE) Metrospace curator Peter Richards and a crew of 15 volunteers, clocking in about 400 work hours, have been cleaning, painting and tearing out wood floors to prepare for the transition from the gallery's former location, 303 Abbott Road.
"In the last month, we totally turned the new space around," Richards said. "One of the things I'm most excited about is we are going to install all new lighting."
The new space will showcase art with incandescent track lighting, as opposed to the former location's fluorescent lighting that Richards said created a "dead light tone."
Another improvement Richards noted is the gallery's large main room and concrete floor. He said the old space consisted of smaller rooms, which were more difficult to work with.
The new concrete floor was dyed a rusty brown color and boasts a high-gloss finish that Richards said is well-suited for an alternative art space.
Ande Johnston, a (SCENE) Metrospace volunteer, has helped with cleaning, painting and pulling out tiles.
He said his favorite part of the venue is its music and smoke-free, alcohol-free environment.
"I do live music video footage and recordings for myself and different events," Johnston said.
His favorite shows at (SCENE) Metrospace included performances by "The Good Mornings," "The Two Hearted String Band" and "Breathe Owl Breathe."
Lauren Ciesa, who donates materials to the art space and designed (SCENE) Metrospace's original logo, said the art gallery provides an important avenue for less traditional art forms.
"We really need a place for artists in general to be able to express themselves," Ciesa said. "It's an interactive art feeling. We've got theater performances and multimedia art."
The May 11 grand opening exhibit "Movement" is based on the idea of motion through time and will feature rock music and experimental electronica. A ticketed preview will be held the night before.
