Austin Downtown Arts Magazine

Visual Arts and Architecture

Birth Pangs at Artplex

by Christopher Keimling

Empty and silent for four years, the rooms of an abandoned office building found new life at the start of this year when they became working quarters for a colony of local artists. Photographers, costume designers, painters and potters all moved in and set up studios in the three-story building dubbed Artplex. Located across the street from the Dog and Duck pub, Artplex's presence as an epicenter of artistic activity gave a big boost to the future development of an area known and being marketed as the Uptown Cultural District. Sharing the same block with the galleries Women and Their Work, Lyons Matrix, and Galeria Sin Fronteras, Artplex was a welcome addition to the neighborhood. Unfortunately, disputes between Artplex's landlord and a non-profit arts organization posed a threat to its future success and nearly resulted in a lawsuit.

In addition to 45 artist's studios, Artplex also houses the offices of a few massage therapists, a computer software company, and several non-profit arts organizations including AVAA (Austin Visual Arts Association), LACA (Latino Arts Consortium), and La Pena. On the ground floor, the Artist's Coalition of Austin has a darkroom available for photographers and offers life drawing sessions in a gallery officially known as the ACA Gallery @ Artplex. Questions regarding the management of this gallery are what triggered the disputes between ACA and Gary Peden, their landlord.

For 3 and half years the ACA had a gallery on Baylor Street, in a warehouse once used as a drop-off location for donations by the adjoining Goodwill store. As Marc Silva, an ACA member, recalls, "I used to open the back gate in the morning and find bags of shirts."

"We were off the beaten track, but we did have 30 or 40 shows a year," said Jan Roset, the ACA's treasurer. Formerly called the Artists' Cooperative of Austin, the ACA changed its name and successfully applied for non-profit status in 1992. As an organization made up entirely of artists, the ACA's main goal is give members and other artists an opportunity to display their works. To do so, they volunteer lots of their time to help to prepare the exhibits. When Goodwill decided to expand at the end of last year, the ACA was forced to move and set up a gallery elsewhere.

It was Gary Peden, a commercial real estate broker, who suggested the Artplex location. He had a vision for the vacant government building. "I saw an opportunity to do something good for a segment of the community," he said.

But the building remained empty, he explained, because "it had 20,000 square feet of space, but only eight parking spaces." It also required a lot of renovation if it was to be put to modern office use. Nevertheless, the 1705 Guadalupe location was ideal for artists.

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ACA's members expressed enthusiasm for the location, but they couldn't afford to buy it. Peden then offered to buy it himself, provided the ACA agree to some conditions outlined (perhaps not specifically enough) in a contract. Under the contract, the ACA agreed, among other things, to construct and manage a gallery on the ground floor. In exchange, Peden would not collect rent from the gallery for a period of five years -- a substantial savings for the gallery. ACA's Ron Prince estimated the amount to equal around $100,000.

In mid-January, the ACA began knocking down walls and clearing space for a 1600 square foot gallery. "We put $6000 into the place, not to mention a lot of labor," Prince said.

During this time, however, the contract had gone unsigned by both parties. "We built this gallery without a lease -- that was our first mistake," said Jan Roset.

Peden said he didn't want to sign the contract until he had obtained the signature of the building's owner on a master lease. He didn't own the building himself; he was leasing to buy it, and building owner Duke Covert hadn't signed the lease because he was waiting for his lawyers to examine it.

In the meantime, problems arose. ACA members said Peden began issuing heavy-handed edicts that became increasingly demanding and hostile. ACA members thought he was being unreasonable, adding new conditions to a prior agreement as a means of bullying them. Peden wrote letters stating he was displeased that the word "Artplex" was missing from ACA invitations and advertisements. He also complained the gallery wasn't being kept clean.

The biggest bone of contention concerned a disagreement over tenant shows. Peden had guaranteed his artist tenants two shows a year, and he wanted the ACA to "provide" for them. He expected the ACA, not his tenants, to finance the shows. But the ACA expressed surprise that they were expected not only to pay for but also to manage the shows. For them, it was customary for artists in the shows to chip in their money and labor. Although willing to offer some assistance, they thought they had simply agreed to "provide" the gallery's space. "I don't think he understood how much work was involved in preparing and promoting a new exhibition," Marc Silva said.

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"I was unfamiliar with the arts in general. It's overwhelming to sit down over coffee and think of every conceivable detail in advance," Peden said. Because the ACA needed to move quickly, there wasn't enough time to discuss the details in depth, he said.

In a letter to Artplex tenants, Peden wrote: "Much of this tension was the result of misunderstandings that arose from a lack of clarity as to how our relationship here at Artplex would best serve both parties."

Peden found that dealing with artists -- a new experience for him -- could be frustrating. There was no office and no person who clearly seemed in charge. "When you have a decentralized, democratic non-profit, show me the responsible party. When you have that kind of structure, show me how to get things done," he asked with soft-spoken exasperation.

Finally, Peden had had enough. He wanted to evict the ACA, which came as a shock to them.

Both sides sought legal help, with the ACA having the advantage of obtaining free representation. In the meantime, the ACA searched for another location while Peden began looking for another group to run the gallery. AVAA expressed a willingness to step in.

Thankfully, however, the ACA and Peden managed to settle out of court. For the next five years, the ACA will continue to run the gallery. Reluctant to discuss past events, members of both parties expressed a desire to restore their working relationship and put the past behind them.

"I was foolish for things I did, and they were foolish for things they did. I sincerely believe both parties share the blame," Peden said.

Peden looks forward to Artplex's future as a member of the Uptown Cultural District. When asked about past problems, he said, "I'm beyond that now. I feel good about the ACA being here."

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