Local Artists Envision Creative Haven

BROOKSVILLE - The creative-minded among us can already imagine it.

A place where artists can make and store their masterpieces.

A place where visitors can stop by and talk to artists during that process and even purchase the final result.

A place where local art groups can hold classes and also attack the business side of their endeavors, with a computer, fax, phone and the rest of the modern technological trappings at hand.

The artist cooperative envisioned for Brooksville by the Hernando County Fine Arts Council, the Spring Art League and other local artist groups would be all these things, said Mary Jane Russell, director of the fine arts council.

"We have a tremendous community of talented artists and we need to let people know that," Russell said. "We have these wonderful gems and you want to share them with everyone else."

The arts council has applied for a $25,000 grant from the Florida Division of Cultural Grants to get the project off the ground.

The grant is through the division's Culture Builds Florida program and, according to a brochure, aims to award money for plans that promote education, stimulate the economy, enhance a sense of place and, of course, bolster the local art community.

Russell, who wrote the grant application, said a cooperative would do all those things. She said she could hear word on the grant as early as July.

Meanwhile, the arts council and other supporters are on the hunt for a suitable location.

The goal is to find a 1,200-square-foot spot in or very near downtown Brooksville. The space would feature a studio and classroom, an office and a gift shop.

The space could be bought or rented, but the monthly payments can't exceed about $1,500, said Tony Covell, chairman of the fine arts council.

It could even be a little rough around the edges, said Covell, the owner of an electrical contracting business. He noted that there are many local artists willing to put some sweat equity into a place that needs work.

"We're looking, looking, and looking some more," Covell said.

Artists would pay a reasonable fee to participate in the cooperative. The gift shop, featuring their work, would also help subsidize the monthly payments.

Another goal is to create a vibrant space to tie in with events that already draw people to Brooksville's core, such as the monthly Bandshell Bash held every second Saturday at Hernando Park and the Main Street Market on every third Saturday.

Such a gathering space is also meant to bring together the county's sometimes territorial art communities, Covell and Russell said.

There are signs that the longstanding sentiment among some residents in Spring Hill and Brooksville that the two places are too far apart for groups to join together for a common goal has begun to erode.

"We have quite a few members who would be interested in actively participating" in the cooperative, Spring Hill Art League member Paul Shaskan told the fine arts council at its meeting last month. The art league has about 160 members.

Even if the grant doesn't come through, Russell said the time has come for a cooperative, something she called "Hernando County's long-awaited dream."

"It's so needed that I hope the community steps up and helps so we can do it anyway," Russell said.

For more information on the effort, call the Hernando Fine Arts Council, 754-4888. The council's next meeting is slated for Thursday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. in the commission chambers of the County Government Center, 20. N. Main St., Brooksville.