The latest home for OpenStudios is a chance for Towne West Square to draw visitors

At a time when Towne West Square is short on tenants and shoppers, OpenStudios is one nontraditional way for mall management to bring in visitors.

The Fisch Haus art collective on Commerce Street has the nonprofit Fisch Bowl that runs OpenStudios, which makes arrangements to do temporary art studios and exhibits at spaces that property owners need to activate.

Elizabeth Stevenson, secretary and treasurer of the Fisch Bowl, was approached about the mall idea by her friend Tyler Cooper. Cooper has the new Boulevard Theatres at Towne West, and his wife, Charley, is manager of the mall.

“I thought it was awesome,” Stevenson said of putting the latest round of OpenStudios there.

“What a great opportunity. There’s a lot of underused space.”

Towne West donates the space, and OpenStudios pays the utilities.

“I’m just trying to get artists in spaces because that’s all they need is space to work,” Stevenson said.

She said Final Friday art crawls could draw large crowds to Towne West.

“I’m hoping it will evolve in that direction.”

She said that in turn can help other mall tenants.

“Everybody’s getting something out of it.”

The group is starting with five storefronts. In addition, Stevenson said management is open to offering other unused spaces around the mall for art installations and performance art.

OpenStudios has a one-year arrangement with Towne West that she hopes will be extended.

“Everybody is really excited,” Stevenson said. “We’ve had a really great response.”

OpenStudios usually has 70 to 100 artists on a waiting list for space. There are 50 artists on the list for Towne West alone.

Stevenson said artists will rotate in and out every three months.

“It’s a really great little microcosm, I think, for creative development.”

This story was originally published March 25, 2022 at 4:07 AM.