Lynchburg Business

Riverviews Artspace: Where “Living Works of Art” Takes on New Meaning

Issue: June 2010 by Kimberly Feldkamp in Real Estate

You have probably walked past the tall, red brick building on of the corner of Ninth and Jefferson Street, catty-corner from Amazement Square, and hopefully, you have given it a second look.

The building is like many others on the street, full of history and character and downtown Lynchburg charm. But this building is full of something else, too—art. And if you have never checked out Riverviews Artspace, you should.

The building hasn’t always housed art and artists. For decades, it was a warehouse for the Craddock Terry Shoe Company, before it sat empty for years. Then, in 1994, a group of artists and downtown enthusiasts formed the private, non-profit Riverviews, Inc., with two goals in mind: 1) to create a living and work space for artists, and 2) spark downtown revitalization. The group bought the building in 1996 for just $60,000 and went to work renovating it. With financial support from the City of Lynchburg and its Industrial Development Authority, along with economic support from historic tax credits and private donations, the group completed the $3.5 million renovation in 2003. The building was converted into seven floors of living/working art space—three floors for galleries, exhibits and work space, and 36 loft apartments on the top four floors.

“It’s very exciting and satisfying to see what it’s turned into today,” Joan MacCallum, the former president of Riverviews, Inc., said.

MacCallum has been with the group from the beginning, and admits the project has taken a long time to come to fruition.

“The original building we were looking at on Commerce Street—it burned to the ground on Christmas Day in 1995. That was the first big challenge. We bought this building the next year, but getting all of the tax credits and loans was a challenge. We didn’t even start construction on the building until 2002,” she explained.

Even once construction did get rolling, there were obstacles. For one, since it was once an old shoe warehouse, MacCallum said the building had a lot of garbage on the first floor, and a lot of shelving—wood shelves, metal shelves, cardboard shelves—on the other floors.

“The contractors said the building had to be cleaned before they could go to work, so a bunch of volunteers put in a lot of time and sweat tearing down shelves and cleaning this place,” she said. “That shows the dedication people have to this place.”

Riverviews Artspace Executive Director Mary Ann Racin couldn’t agree more.

“There are a lot of visionaries who have been so patient and hardworking with this project. There’s a lot going on in this building, and that’s great to see.”

Today, the building is full of a creative energy that you can almost feel the minute you walk inside. With the high ceilings and big windows, it’s easy to see why the innovative spaces have enticed artists, architects and creative entrepreneurs to set up shop here. It just feels cool, really.

Last year, the building was converted to a condominium, and the majority of the loft spaces were sold. In turn, all the building’s debts have been paid.

Racin says she now wants to focus on how Riverviews can help with the downtown development and revitalization.

“Economically, Riverviews was the first large-scale housing development downtown,” Laura Dupuy, of the Lynchburg Neighborhood Development Foundation, said. “You don’t get development downtown without people living downtown, and Riverviews is the leader of that. It brings together cutting-edge finance, with cutting-edge arts, with cutting-edge development.”

“Art really brings a new energy to an area, and it sort of diffuses through a neighborhood,” Racin said. “I think that’s happening and it’s great to see it happening here.”

Racin also wants to get more people downtown to check out Riverviews and be aware of everything it has to offer, since there are numerous free and low-cost programs and activities offered. First Friday Open House is one of them. On the first Friday of every month, art galleries and studios representing more than 40 artists are open to the public. Live music and art activities also accompany the events on these nights, too.

Third Thursdays, where recognized authors and emerging talents read their work in the Craddock-Terry Gallery, is another event to frequent. On the second Thursday of every month, visitors can also catch a documentary film or even watch a foreign film on the second Saturday of each month. Add to this the CineViews annual Film Festival in November and the “Literacy through Photography” program, Picture My World, and it’s easy to see that Riverviews really is striving to offer something for everyone.

“Like any great thing, there’s a constant unfolding,” Dupuy said. “It’s dynamic because there’s always something going on, and Riverviews just keeps stimulating what’s possible. I think it’s great…and that’s what makes it a success.”

“Everyone’s experience here is different,” Racin said. “We just want people to feel like this is their artspace.”

For more information about Riverviews Artspace, visit www.riverviews.net.