East Lansing’s (SCENE) Metrospace, located at 110 Charles St., reopened on Sept. 18 under the operation of Michigan State University’s Department of Art, Art History and Design.
The city closed the space in April, but in June, East Lansing city leaders announced an agreement for MSU to take over programming and operations.
“The idea made sense to us as a way to launch the space,” said Chris Corneal, chairperson of the MSU Department of Art, Art History and Design. “We wanted it to be an open show - start regional and then build to national.”
The reopening also marked the renovated downtown gallery’s first exhibition, a regionally focused art exhibit, “Place in Proximity.”
Visual artists 18 years old or older living in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana or Ohio were invited to submit entries, with selections decided by Dustin London, professor of painting at Eastern Michigan University, and an alumnus of both MSU and University of Pennsylvania.
Founded by the City of East Lansing in response to the “Cool Cities” initiative of former Gov. Jennifer Granholm, (SCENE) Metrospace has maintained a diverse range of visual art exhibitions, musical performances and other forms of expression since opening in May 2004.
“(SCENE) Metrospace provides an environment to challenge our ways of thinking about the visual and performing arts, as well as explore opportunities for community partnerships,” Corneal said.
Moving forward, (SCENE) Metrospace plans to host six-week themed exhibitions featuring work by contemporary artists.
“Our priority is community engagement,” said Christopher P. Long, dean of the MSU College of Arts and Letters. “This space allows MSU to step across Grand River Avenue to connect with the local community in creative new ways that will enrich the work of our faculty and students and the cultural life of the city.”
(SCENE) Metrospace is free and open to the public, with the exception of some special programming. The gallery is handicap accessible and offers 1,500 square feet of raw exhibition space in a contemporary urban setting.
Proposals for exhibitions, performances, installations and special programming at (SCENE) Metrospace are accepted in two general categories: proposals from an independent artist and proposals for curated group and/or themed exhibitions. Applicants are strongly encouraged to consider how the proposed project is compatible with the (SCENE) Metrospace mission.
During exhibitions, (SCENE) Metrospace maintains the following hours: 3-7 p.m. Thursday; 1-7 p.m. Friday; and noon-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.