Michelle Calloway, one of the founders of Space 42 and the group’s first-ever artist in residence, Luisa Posada Bleier, talked about the work going on at a warehouse described as at the convergence of art and technology on Monday’s on First Coast Connect.
Space 42 provides the studio space and resources necessary to create artistic work. Calloway said she and her husband came up with the idea, “I think something we realized was that a lot of artists need resources and one of the resources that we have at Space 42 is space.”
Space 42 is a 22,000 square foot facility that Calloway calls a “creative incubator.” The residency provides participants with an opportunity to exhibit their pieces inside Space 42’s main gallery.
Bleier is an award-winning Colombian-born visual artist who has previously exhibited her work in solo and group shows in Columbia, Germany and Spain. Bleier is currently based in Jacksonville, and has been working in Space 42’s studio space since January. “It has been great. There has been a lot of collaboration,” Bleier said.
Many of Bleier’s pieces are architectural sculptures made from wood, which is a new medium for Bleier that includes whimsical, colorful twists and turns.
Space 42 also has arts shows and a pop-up space for local artist to come in and set up for the day and share with the community. A farmers market is also every Wednesday between 4 and 7 p.m., Calloway said.
Space 42 is located at 2670 Phyllis Street, in the CoRK arts district and will be showcasing Bleier’s solo work Thursday, May 3 from 7 to 9 p.m. It is free and open to the public.
