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Gibson Village opening marks arrival of Concord arts district
Robin Gardner / rgardner@independenttribune.com
Sean Glover discusses his brother’s new workspace with art gallery owner Louis Farley and John Xenakis on Sunday. The open house gave residents an opportunity to see how the old Water Works building would become an artist hub in Concord.
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Published: November 18, 2009
An open house held on Sunday evening at the old Water Works building in Gibson Village brought out not just the community and local leaders, but quite a few visitors from outside the area.
More than 50 people popped in and out of the space during the night to investigate changes made to the building, and to meet the two artists, Patrick Glover and Ross Wilbanks, who occupy it.
Community residents from the Gibson Village neighborhood were excited by what the two artists might bring to their neighborhood.
Glover hopes to create an artistic hub outside of the downtown area, where artists can create and showcase their work.
"Patrick came to one of our neighborhood meetings. I think this is awesome," Christa Thomas said.
"We haven't been in here yet. We are very hopeful that this turns into something. We just want it to be something," Chip Thomas said.
Glover greeted the couple, and their neighbor, Pat Swift, with a smile and a warm hello.
"Concord is ready for an arts district, something besides downtown. It's happening in our neighborhood. This is something we asked for when they started planning the greenway," Swift said.
The only fear they expressed was that people in Concord were not aware of what was happening in Gibson Village.
However, the mix of people who attended the open house made it apparent that people are becoming aware.
"This is great. I think Patrick will probably attract other artists. I think Patrick's reputation will attract others," Mount Pleasant resident and Cabarrus Arts Council member Lin Barnhardt said.
Barnhardt explained that the arts council was very excited by the project and the renovations to the buildings.
"It's good for our community to get artists with the caliber of Patrick Glover," Barnhardt said.
Louise Farley and John Xenakis traveled from Charlotte for the open house.
"This brought me into downtown Concord. I would never have come before. I'm certainly now interested. I came in early, and we drove into the downtown area. I would come back just to check it out," Xenakis said.
Farley owns an art gallery in NoDa, an art district in Charlotte, and was curious about Gibson Village.
"The more people that are in these spaces, these close together areas, the better it will be, because it will draw the public in," Farley said.
"Where there would be an event, it's a place to go to, rather than a place to stop by," Xenakis said.
Bill Lamb, a Concord resident and Charlotte business owner, donated pastries from the bakery and coffeehouse he owns in NoDa, Amelie's French Bakery, for the event.
As guests tasted the sweet treats, speculation began among some of the residents from the area on what businesses could be attracted here because of the project.
A business like Lamb's seemed to fit what the project was about, and the possibilities of what the project could attract wasn't lost on the residents.
Steve Osborne, deputy director with the City of Concord Business and Neighborhood Services Department, talked of the next phase of the project.
"We have the next phase, we are working on the plans, and we have four artists interested. They are waiting to come. We are getting real close to finalizing it," Osborne.
Most of the money for the project is coming from various grants, and although the money is difficult to find, according to Osborne, the city remains committed to the project.
They are using an energy grant to replace the old doors and inefficient windows on the building.
Osborne hopes the new artists will be in by February, but there is a lot of work that needs to be done.
"We've had a lot more interest than we can make space for," Osborne said. "The word is getting out on it's own. The word is out running us."
• Contact reporter Robin L. Gardner: 704-789-9140
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