The
Soap Factory is one of the largest galleries nationwide that focuses on emerging talent, according to its executive director Ben Heywood.
But the historic wood and brick building which houses the edgy gallery, a one-time soap factory, is on the decline.
The 48,000 square foot warehouse in Southeast Minneapolis, which dates back to the 1890s, has no heat or air conditioning, and on top of that, no insulation. As a result, "It's not a stable structure," Heywood says.
To stop the effects of aging, the Soap Factory, which has made many other building improvements since it moved into the space in 1995, is preparing for a more ambitious rehab. Getting an efficient heating system in place, Heywood explains, is key. "We want to own this building into perpetuity."
And finding green solutions to these issues, he says, is of strong interest. The gallery is looking into a passive
air conditioning system, which would siphon cool air from the
basement into the rest of the building during the warmer months, plus the possibility of a
green roof, geothermal heating, and solar energy options.
Although going down any of those paths would require a
big upfront investment, "the lifetime costs tend to be less," says Heywood.
Ultimately, the rehab would preserve the look of the building,he says, adding, "The rawness is what works for our art
projects."
This year the gallery received a $46,800 grant from the State of Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund that the
Minnesota Historical Society administered, to help get going with a structural review and heating survey, which are underway from
MacDonald & Mack Architects and
Dunham Associates.
When those pieces come out next year, they'll inform a larger design plan for the building. Afterward, the gallery will take on a full-fledged capital campaign for the estimated $3.5 million project, Heywood says.
For now, "We're starting to assemble what we need to make strong pitches" to public and private groups, he says.
Source: Ben Heywood, executive director, Soap Factory
Writer: Anna Pratt