Thanks to Schindler for bringing bank building, ArtWorks Center together

What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time, the Austin Area Arts Center — an organization long-established as the center of visual arts in our community — was facing an uncertain future because the furnace on their space at the Oak Park Mall had broken.

Meanwhile, the old bank building at 300 N. Main St. in downtown Austin sat empty. The building exterior had been renovated through the Austin Main Street Project in 2008 and owner Patrick Bradley hadn’t yet found a tenant to occupy it. The Vision 2020 Destination Downtown committee made filling the bank building — already a landmark in the neighborhood — an official goal.

Last year at this time, the second annual ArtWorks Festival hadn’t yet happened. But the first annual festival in 2012 had proven that Austin loves and supports the arts. The Austin Area Commission for the Arts, best known for owning and operating the Paramount Theatre, was going through strategy review and discussion on bolstering their involvement in visual arts.

That was the situation when community volunteer Belita Schindler got some inspiration: Could the Austin Area Arts Center rent the old bank building? What about the Austin Area Commission for the Arts? Would they want to partner on the project, too?

To be honest, it seemed like a big stretch to me. I knew that Mr. Bradley had invested enough in the building renovations that he couldn’t offer the range of rent that nonprofits like the Austin Area Arts Center and the Austin Area Commissions for the Arts can typically afford. I didn’t know if the leadership of the two organizations would have interest or capacity for the project.

What happened next proved an adage of community building: When the time is right and the idea is right, the resources will follow. The Austin Area Arts Center merged with the Austin Area Commission for the Arts in January and collaborated on the development of the Artworks Center which will open on Aug. 21, 2014. The Hormel Foundation, the City of Austin and private donors have pledged financial support. (Your donation is still needed to finish the project. Go to www.austinareaarts.org to give.)

The old bank building has undergone interior renovations to the tune of $500,000. The center will feature a retail gallery, clay studio, classrooms, fine art gallery and a lounge area for music and literary arts. Classes have already begun. Austin is getting better—more arts to enrich our lives and strengthen our economy.  More investment and traffic in our downtown.

Please join me in thanking Belita Schindler for engaging in the community and asking a few key questions at the right time. Just that moment of creativity and questioning the possibilities (only a small part of Belita’s contributions to the ArtWorks Center) made Austin better for all of us.