Airbrush artist and painter Abel R. Jackson, who was one of several artists displaced by the closing of The ArtHouse. (Photo courtesy of the artist.)

Over the years, The ArtHouse of Charlotte served as home away from home for a host of authors, sculptors, playwrights, makeup artists, painters, musicians, photographers and various other artists.

Opened in 2004, it consisted of 13 studios and grew to become a haven for art lovers looking to add new pieces to their collections — or simply to chat with the artists who toiled inside.There was just one problem: Location.

Though situated in Charlotte’s art-centric NoDa district, The ArtHouse sat just 50 feet from Little Sugar Creek, which was prone to flash flooding. This past fall, the creek flooded the gallery with more than 15 inches of water for the second time in two year – forcing the building to close for good.

Despite the setback, the artists who once called The ArtHouse home have not given up. Gradually, they are finding new locations and new business models that are allowing them to continue with the works they enjoy.

Abel R. Jackson, a painter and airbrush artist who leased a space at The ArtHouse, has since relocated to Area 15, a small business incubator for the arts on North Davidson Street.

“Instead of looking at [the closing] as a negative thing,” he said, “I see it as a sign that it was time for me to step up to another level. What it immediately brought to my mind was that nothing lasts forever.”

When The ArtHouse closed, Jackson and seven other artists were displaced. He vividly recalls the day the water came rushing in.

“My whole studio was flooded with, like, 16 inches of water,” he said. “If I hadn’t have been there, I would have lost everything. It would have all been destroyed.”

There was minimal damage to personal property, but the actual building suffered severe damage and was subsequently condemned by the city. It has since been purchased by Charlotte Mecklenburg Storm Water Services, which plans to demolish the building and replace it with green space and a park.

Plan B

Jackson said the flood made him realize that he needed to have a proper plan in place for his business. He has spent the past few months focusing on setting up his LLC structure, putting his marketing plan into action and establishing a line of credit. He said that in the past, he just focused on doing his art, but now he is approaching his work with a more entrepreneurial mindset.

“I’m setting up a legitimate business, so that I can take my work up to the next level,” he says. “From being in The ArtHouse, I can see that I’ve got the talent and that people like what I do and can appreciate what I do. Now I just have to get my business in order.”

Photographer Dean Walker was also leasing a studio at The ArtHouse, but unlike, Jackson he hasn’t relocated yet. His biggest challenge to finding a new location? Cost.

“I’ve had a hard time finding something that is comparable to what I had in terms of rent rate and size,” said Walker. “That has been the most difficult setback.

“It‘s been kind of a drag,” he continued. “I’m a homeless photographer.”

Since he no longer has a studio, Walker said he’s made adjustments in the way he renders his services. “Now, I offer to come to clients and actually set up a studio inside their home,” he says. “It’s my plan B.”

Going “Greens”

The LATIBAH Collard Greens Museum, which was opened in 2009 by self-described “black history buff” T’Afo Feimster, was the anchor tenant of The ArtHouse and took up four studios. It featured a life-sized exhibit with several installments portraying significant moments in history that Feimster believes best illustrate the black experience — from the Middle Passage to the election of President Barack Obama.

Feimster also held two regularly scheduled African American history programs at the museum each month. One was a theatrical re-enactment and the other was a panel discussion/workshop. Since the closing of The ArtHouse, he now holds the events at the Little Rock Baptist Church Community Development Center (formerly the African American Cultural Center) on the first and fourth Friday of each month.

Feimster, who is also part owner of The ArtHouse, said he has been using his downtime to focus on his art and create new installments that will be added to the exhibit when it opens in a new location.

“There is always a silver lining,” he said. “I’ve had an opportunity to really do the things that were on my plate that … I wasn’t able to do while the museum was functioning.”

Feimster’s goal is to have the new museum open and running by February 2012. He plans to keep The ArtHouse concept but with fewer studios. “It will not be as extensive,” he says. “Depending on the location, I wouldn’t want to have any more than four artist studios the next go around.”

For more information, visit the LATIBAH Collard Greens Museum on Facebook. 

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Editor's Note: This article was created as part of the Charlotte Arts Journalism Alliance, a consortium of local media dedicated to writing about the arts scene.

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