FOR years it’s been a picture of wasted potential.
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Now, the possibilities of the iconic East Fork barracks are being realised by some of the city’s most creative inhabitants.
“After three long years we’ve done it,” an elated Colour City Creatives Inc president Aida Pottinger said yesterday.
“This is something entirely new for Orange.”
The group recently signed a two year lease with the Australian Rail Track Corporation under a deal to transform the empty two-storey red brick building into a thriving co-op of 15 studios.
To be known as the Colour City Creative Artspace, the building will be occupied by professional artists who will pay a low weekly fee of around $20.
The more artists that sign on, the cheaper the fee will be.
“The idea is to collaborate a group of artists who can help each other in the one environment,” Ms Pottinger said.
“That’s going to be incredibly stimulating and creative because each person will bring certain skills with them
“We want to be cutting edge, it won’t just a place where traditional paintings are created, but also sculptures, new media and other mediums.
“We’d eventually like to take the concept further down the line, down to Bathurst, to Molong, Eugowra, anywhere where artists want and need space.”
The Orange Regional Gallery has recently been accused of not giving local talent enough opportunities to showcase their works, however the new co-op could give local artists access to exhibition space, Ms Pottinger said.
bevan.shields@ruralpress.com