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April 24, 2009
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Art factories There’s a service elevator, and I was told to watch where I stepped — that someone had lost their lunch near it. At the end of one hallway are giant doors that were opened to let in spring sunshine and air. Usually, things are by appointment in 21 West Auburn. Manchester Mills at 21 West Auburn St. is the kind of building where you need to leave a trail of bread crumbs to find your way out. It’s a place where people go to get work done without bothering about presentation. Some tenants put signs on their doors. A lot don’t. To find OPUS’s workspace, look down. “OPUS” is spray-painted on a doormat. From Manchester Mills, walk past satellite dishes near WMUR toward the baseball stadium, and you can find the shiny floors and the well-marked companies of Langer Place, which recently allowed the public to wander through some of its studios as part of the Open Doors Manchester Art and Cultural Tour on April 16 (look for the next Open Doors and its accompanying Langer Place open house on Thursday, June 25 — see majestictheatre.net for a map). Both buildings currently house several creative businesses, and both are in Manchester’s former mill area. Nashua has two mill buildings that hold a similar place in the artistic community — the Picker building and the #6 Mill Annex. Go to any of these mills and you’ll find not only art but new business in these old buildings. Langer Place “I’ve got a real mishmash of tenants,” Jan Langer said. Langer Place as an artists’ space was kind of accidental, Langer said. Paul Ingbretson was looking for inexpensive space with north light — natural light that doesn’t change during the day. Artists ended up filling the north side of the building, which the Langers had thought was least attractive as the cold side. “They taught us some interesting things,” Langer said. Langer said early on, while they were marketing the building as an “artist enclave of sorts,” businesses like packaging design engineers and patent attorneys also wanted to move in, and said they, too, were creative businesses. “As a result, we ended up with a very eclectic customer base in the building,” Jan Langer said. Now they have civil engineers, photographers, manufacturing and a variety of art. The Langers bought 55 Commercial St. in 1992. The previous owner was having some trouble. “We were supporting the building,” Langer said. The Langers own Plastifoam and Avilite manufacturing companies, still run from 55 S. Commcerial St. They’ve refurbished as needed. They let their tenants design their own spaces, “and we support them in an awful lot of ways,” Langer said. Tucker Library Interiors is one of those niche creative businesses in Langer. Richard Tucker’s father started the company in 1978 and it’s been located in Langer since 2002, Tucker said. He’s been with the company since 1982, and his business partner, Cori McGrath, has worked there for 17 years (www.tuckerlibraryinteriors.com). The company moved from 155 Dow St., also in the Millyard. They sell furnishings and provide interior design for public, school and college libraries in New England — things like study carrels, reading tables and custom circulation desks. Their current project is furniture and shelving for Hudson’s new George H. and Ella M. Rodgers Memorial Library (www.rodgerslibrary.org). Cabinet maker Ed Reinish has worked out of Langer for more than 15 years. He does custom woodworking, including commissioned furniture pieces and “what I call furniture-grade interior woodworking,” Reinish said (641-5147). A custom kitchen with components built and designed like furniture is an example, he said. Hatfield Gallery is going on its fourth year in Langer Place, owner Diane Boucher said. “I love it here, it’s just right,” she said. Hatfield offers framing services and sells art. Boucher was branching out for a two-day “Not Only Paintings” event April 18 and April 19 with things like painted gourds and stained glass. You could probably fit about five gallery and frame shops of typical storefront size in Hatfield’s two spaces. Boucher likes sharing the building with so many working artists — she frames for some. “It’s never boring here,” Boucher said. East Colony Fine Art has a corner near the main entrance of Langer. It’s run by 26 member artists, said member Mary Walker. Their work includes oils, pastels, acrylic and mixed media. East Colony also houses Sullivan Framing. “I rent from East Colony,” Amy Sullivan said. She’s been there for about five years and owns the business with Cory Sullivan. Walker has started studying upstairs at the Sheehan Academy of Painting, which nationally known artist Dennis Sheehan opened recently after having a studio and later a gallery in the building. Walker noted that the concentration of visual arts education has grown in Manchester, with places like Paul Ingbretson’s Studio of Drawing and Painting (also in Langer), Sheehan’s academy, and the Currier Museum of Art and New Hampshire Institute of Art. Whereas many Langer tenants have interesting custom-made entrances to their spaces, Paul Ingbretson’s studio door is rather plain and unassuming. Thus it’s somewhat surprising when you enter the studio and find out it extends far down the north side of the building. Huge hanging cloths separate the vast area into eight or nine work spaces, each with window access. During the April 16 Open Doors, students hosted visitors and talked about Ingbretson’s rigorous training program, which can accommodate up to 18 students. They are part of what’s considered the Boston School of painting. Paul Ingbretson is president of the Guild of Boston Artists — the first to hold that place was Edmund C. Tarbell in 1914. “This is called a professional enhancement program,” said Irene Woss, who has studied with Ingbretson for about six years. Students start with drawing, for about a year or more, Woss said; they work on still life, then figures, then portraits. Often there are landscape workshops before they break for the summer (studio.ingbretson.com). Commercial photographer Althea Haropulos has worked from Langer for about 10 years, although she normally shoots on location, doing corporate and public relations work. It’s easy to use her space as a gallery during public events like Open Doors, she said. She usually tries to show other artists during these events. She used April 16’s Open Doors to show photos a friend took at Mt. Everest. There are several photographers in the building and they have been known to borrow things from each other. Larry Dunn does mostly advertising photography, Jeff Dachowski does portraits, and Diane Sage does weddings, Haropulos said. “It’s funny, because I was the first photographer,” and the Langers asked Haropulos if she would mind if another moved in, Haropulos said. She’s seen a lot of changes in the building over the years. One thing that has made it easier for creative businesses to move in is that the Langers don’t mind splitting their building into smaller spaces. Most building owners would rather just “blow out” a whole floor to lease, Haropulos said. Dachowski Photo specializes in photos of people, including weddings or commercial scenes, Jeff Dachowski said. He works with his wife, Carolle, and they have one employee, who does graphic design and some customer service. Before they opened a photography business, Carolle worked in nursing, and Jeff in construction while photographing on the side. They moved into Langer in 2003. “When we walked into Langer [Place], we could tell that [the owners] worked here” by how the Langers kept the building, Dachowski said. They were also attracted to the roster of tenants that included artists and some corporate offices, not only manufacturing, Dachowski said. “In our building right now there are seven photographers ... which is kind of crazy,” Dachowski said. They have good relationships, though, and sometimes pass work around, and there are also painters, he noted. “I like the vibe ... I think the clients notice it,” Dachowski said. Diane Sage at Sage Studio (www.sagephoto.com, 641-5756) does weddings, portraits and fashion photography, frequently on location, “but we like to incorporate the mills a lot,” Sage said. She’s been based at Langer for 10 years. She likes the historic mill feel, with high ceilings, natural light and hardwood floors, she said. With the new minor-league baseball field nearby, Langer is feeling a lot of activity in the area, Sage said. “Before, a lot of people didn’t know where we were,” Sage said. Adrienne Silversmith’s Langer studio used to be known as Art Pad. She moved and her new space is called Adrienne Silversmith Fine Art (www.adriennesilversmith.com). It’s a working studio and artist Heather Hilton also uses it. Hilton also works for New Hampshire Institute of Art, where she earned a BFA. The space is open by appointment and for shows or events. Silversmith paints mostly oils in realism, figures and landscapes. Hilton’s work might be called abstract expressionist, Silversmith said. Both are also students — Hilton in a master’s program in Boston, and Silversmith at NHIA for a BFA. Silversmith was an East Colony member for four years, and moved into her own space about two years ago, she said. She switched for north light. “For most artists painting from life, north light is the most consistent and desired location,” Silversmith said. She still works with East Colony and interacts with other tenants, like sharing model lists with Dennis Sheehan. “I love the energy on the fourth floor,” Silversmith said. Near Sage Studio is Keza (www.kezamedia.com, 622-3685), a multimedia, interactive print and Web business, said Zach Heathwaite, who owns Keza with Kelly Richard. Their clients are businesses small and large, including Comcast. Keza created kiosks for San Francisco’s airport’s environmental campaign, where airline patrons can offset their carbon footprints from flying, Heathwaite said. Keza has been in Langer for about two years, having moved from Elm Street. “We love the mill buildings,” Heathwaite said. They like the history, and their ability as renters to make changes. They were able to gut and renovate and make it their own unique place when they moved in. Langer tenants also include Makers Product Development and Stark Equipment, the New England Models Group, Elizabeth Jones Studio, Blue Moon Massage, Action Photo, Business NH Magazine, Celebrity Cheer gym, Studio North, women’s golf clothier Kye Power (www.kyepower.com, 627-8885), artist Charles Baroody (charlesbaroody.com), photographer Larry Dunn (www.larrydunnphotography.com, 641-6575), Full Spectrum Wellness (www.fullspectrumwellness.com), intellectual property attorneys Grossman, Tucker, Perreault and Pfleger PLLC, Northeast Panels and Reliable Technologies. Manchester Mills Manager Justin Gamache said creative business owners were attracted to the building’s accessibility, its “unique structure and what the building offers at its price. These businesses do offer, I’d say, a positive impact to the community” and surrounding businesses. The tenants know and talk to each other, he said. Glass lampworker Aaron Slater shares space with painter Jaime Grady on the third floor. The two subdivided it into eight studios, and they sublet to other artists. One tenant was a trapeze artist looking for a place to stay in shape during the winter. Slater’s band, The Broadcasters, practices there. “It’s cool for me. I don’t know how cool it is for everybody else,” Slater said. He likes to have the instruments there, because sometimes other people will start to play. “It’s a garage band, weekend warrior project,” he said. Painter Dan Greuling is across the hall with painter Kim Logan — “I always like going over there,” Slater said. Greuling also has tools and woodworking equipment. “That’s my favorite thing about having more people in the building. I can borrow their stuff,” Slater said. Slater has worked there for about five years. He moved in because it was affordable. Slater (www.aaronslaterglass.com) said the third floor had its first open studio in March. Slater and Grady were previously involved in the Monastery Artist Collective, which held public art events there. “The fact that there’s some stirrings of these open studios makes me feel like there really is a community, sharing ideas and helping each other. That’s what want we wanted out of Monastery. It worked to a certain degree. But this is nice because there’s not as much effort involved. ... I can just try to make a living,” Slater said. One hallway in 21 West Auburn seems to go straight through Cedar and Oak’s workshop. Co-owner Mike Rousseau apparently does a lot of directing for costumer Mary Selvoski because of this. Cedar and Oak makes furniture to sell wholesale to mid- to upper-end stores around New England, Rousseau said. They moved in last October, expanded across the hall, and plan to expand further in the building soon. They now have a workforce of seven. Rousseau said their furniture’s look is a cross between country, Shaker and contemporary styles. Although the name is Cedar and Oak, their designs are mainly made from pine. Rousseau points out that their scrap does not go to the dumpster. Cedar and Oak keeps onion bags around the shop to collect it. They sell it to Agway, which sells it for kindling. Rousseau’s wife, Carol, was staining a piece using water-based General Finishes on April 15. Her brother Broderick Lang is the other co-owner. They do business as Amoskeag Fixtures and Design (518-5123). Cedar and Oak received help from the Manchester Economic Development Office, Rousseau said. If Cedar and Oak needs a hand-painted design or decorative work, they head upstairs to OPUS, Rousseau said. If they need help, they subcontract to the other furniture-makers in the building. “Why are we somewhat successful? Would you want to buy a piece of country furniture that says ‘Made in China’?” Rousseau said. Dawn Dube, a co-owner of OPUS, shares a third-floor space with artist Lori Eberhardt-Rahill. OPUS (Other People’s Unique Stuff) is a consignment store on Manchester’s West Side, at 194 South Main St., that opened about three years ago. It’s only been using Manchester Mills space for about six months. OPUS does estate clean-ups, and often finds furniture and other items that can’t be sold as they are but shouldn’t just be thrown out (throwing them out also involves dump fees). So Dube, Rahill and other artisans take the solid wood furniture that has water marks or other problems, paint it and put it on the sales floor at OPUS. Their workshop holds drawers of old costume jewelry pieces to decorate lamps they’ve re-worked. They break up mismatched China plates to use in mosaics on furniture. Doilies are attached to pillows. Frames and mirrors are given new life. “I cannot throw things out that are quality,” Dube said. Mary’s Closet is across the hall from OPUS. Mary Selvoski and her family moved the thousands of theatrical costumes they rent, and she builds, there in the fall after a search for affordable space. They are providing costumes for dancers and a model at the International Fantasy Hair Competition, April 23 at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester. Brooks Tanner does custom acoustic woodworking and makes stereo cabinetry. His business, Resonant Woods (627-9663, www.resonantwoods.com), mostly works with high-end audio shops, which sell the gear, and then Tanner builds the furniture or built-in pieces. There are several woodworkers in the Manchester Mills, which Tanner said is “a good thing because we all work together.” “We each have our own customer base,” Tanner said, and if one shop needs help, another might be able to handle it. “Everyone has their own niche,” David Moynihan said. His Amoskeag Furniture and Cabinetry (www.amoskeagfurniture.com, 622-9212) has been in business for 15 years at different Millyard locations. He does custom wood furniture and cabinetry for homes. “I like the feel of the mills. There’s a lot of history here,” Moynihan said. Sheree Burlington’s Museware Pottery has been in Manchester Mills for more than three years (645-6873, www.musewarepottery.com). “We are a custom hand-painted pottery business,” Burlington said. Their primary focus is wedding, baby and personalized products. They wholesale to gift stores and high-end craft galleries, Burlington said. Museware does the hand-painting, decoration, glazing and firing and ships nationwide. Their pieces are all functional, food- and dishwasher-safe. Burlington said Museware started at Manchester Mills because the rents are very reasonable. Richard Little, of Little Painted Creations, paints furniture and murals, does decorative painting, and teaches. He moved into 21 West Auburn about a month ago, after moving back to the area from Florida with his wife. He grew up in Manchester, moved to Massachusetts, where he had a ceramic studio for a time, raised two children, and then he and his wife tried Florida for a semi-retirement. They’ve decided against it year-round. Rents are reasonable and there’s a lot of space at 21 West Auburn, Little said. He’s interested in working with other tenants on a studio tour near the holidays. Across the hall is Marie O’Donnell’s MDR Quilting (627-6888). She has a long-arm quilting machine in her studio. After people piece their quilt tops together, they send them to O’Donnell for batting and quilting, since that part can be hard with a regular sewing machine. She also makes quilts by consignment and works with people who want to learn. O’Donnell also gives individual and small group ballroom dance lessons in the building. She’s been there for about six or seven years, taught ballroom for 44 and quilted for more than 20, she said. Like most everyone in the building, O’Donnell works by appointment. The Manchester Mills also includes D & D Cabinets (www.danddcabinets.com), Semper Fi Power Supply (www.semperfipowersupply.com) and others. Picker Building Tenants had good things to say about Jack Bolger, who owns the Picker Building. Mixed-media artist Bonnie Guerico (www.bonnieguercio.com, 465-2769) opened studio space there after retiring from teaching art at Clearway Alternative High School. She chose her location because it’s an interesting building at more than 140 years old, she said. When cotton was brought up from the South, the bails would be full of weeds, twigs and bugs. Mill girls picked that stuff out — hence the name “Picker Building,” she said. Many Picker artists became friendly with the visiting sculptors at the first International Sculpture Symposium of Nashua last spring, she said. The next opens May 17 — “We’re planning a dinner for them,” Guerico said. Pennie L. Arnott-Reitano of Stepping Stones Jewelry Designs (www.steppingstonesjewelry.com) shares her space with Out on a Limb Pottery (www.outonalimbpotterystudios.com). Reitano has been in Picker for about eight years. She previously worked on murals and painted furniture. Now, her Stepping Stones jewelry has hand-made pottery as a focal point, embellished with semi-precious stones, fresh water pearls, Swarovski crystals and sterling silver, she said. About working in a place with other creative businesses, Reitano said, “Oh my God, It’s so great. We bounce ideas off of each other. It’s very inspirational. It’s really a nice environment to work in.” The owner of the building is “so sweet,” she said. “I create and teach metal clay jewelery,” said Carol A. Babineau, at Art Clay Studio (560-5402, www.artclaystudio.com), who has worked out of Picker for about three years. Babineau is one of 10 master art clay instructors in the country, she said. She’s also a member of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, and wrote Metal Clay — Beyond the Basics (Kalmbach Publishing). Albert Wilkinson of A.W. Emboss, LLC, has kept his laser engraving and embossing business in the Picker Building since 2003. He’s also a photographer. Wilkinson chose the space for the location and price, he said. Last year, Wilkinson photographed the International Sculpture Symposium, which will be exhibited at Hampshire First Bank, 221 Main St. in Nashua, during this May’s event. The sculptors will again work at nearby Ultima NIMCO, and Wilkinson will probably photograph it and create signs for finished work. Mark Frank of Renaissance Glass in the Picker said his family business does mostly custom stained glass commissions these days, usually for private homes, with some commercial work. Mary Frank has designed stained glass for more than 30 years. Their latest is a large job for Amherst College, a double entryway for a historic dorm building. They teach classes in their studio and shop at Picker, where they’ve been for almost three years. “We like the atmosphere here,” he said. They have a view of the river and it’s quieter than their former Main Street location. Having other creative businesses nearby is a plus, Frank said. They do interact; for example, Wilkinson works with Renaissance on projects that involve his etching or engraving skills. “We are a digital screenprinting company,” said Mike Biundo of NSP Graphics (889-7474), which does everything from political signs to graphic design to full-color digital banners and T-shirts. NSP has been in Picker for about 20 years, and Biundo has owned it since 2003. “I’ve seen a huge change in the demographic make-up of those who come in,” Biundo said. It’s changed from just manufacturing. There’s a demand for the space, and the rent is very reasonable, he said. “It allows folks that work in the building to do their craft and not be overburdened by how much it costs,” Biundo said. Biundo also owns political consulting company Meridian Communications, and he ran campaigns for Manchester Mayor Frank Guinta twice. “I’m probably known more for politics ... but I love the print side of it,” Biundo said. Contract Embroidery (www.contractembroidery.net, 577-9997) does mass-production custom embroidery jobs and screen-printing throughout New England, down through Florida and as far west as Illinois. It has just branched out into offering services with organic thread. It’s been at Picker for five or six years. “It’s interesting, because they have more of a unique flavor to their businesses ... we do a lot of mass productions,” said owner Mark Boiszert, of the neighbors. His company turns out about 1,000 pieces a day, although they are still custom and creative, he said. “We fit in, actually, very well,” Boiszert said. When the studio artists have downtime and Contract Embroidery needs more hands, they hire the other tenants, Boiszert said. Sid Ceaser and Sara Prindiville work out of their Plastic Camera Studio (www.plasticcamerastudio.com). Ceaser does creative editorial and headshot portraiture and fine art photography. His fine art photos have been represented by McGowan Fine Art in Concord since 2003, he said. Ceaser and Prindiville have been at Picker since 2004. It was the first thing they did after graduating from New Hampshire Institute of Art. They knew they needed a dedicated studio space to keep creating, Ceaser said. They’ve since moved from a too-small space on the second floor to the fourth. Ceaser thinks there are now eight or nine photographers in Picker. “I do fine art landscape photography,” Prindiville said. Most of the time she’s using a wooden box with a pinhole and likes to shoot things “that don’t show the hand of man,” Ceaser said. Prindiville mostly shoots in New Hampshire, but also Maine and Vermont. She sells some of her work through Sharon Arts Center in Peterborough (www.saraprindiville.com), she said. Prindiville said of the creative businesses in Picker, “It’s fantastic to have that environment to bounce ideas off of people.” Elise MacDonald is the director for Studio 99, relatively new to Picker. “Well, we’re sort of a hybrid,” MacDonald said. Studio 99 have music education going on during the day with a faculty of about six. Their emphasis “is definitely on American music — jazz, blues, bluegrass, Broadway...,” MacDonald said. Ceaser took headshots for MacDonald and happened to know a space was open. “I was able to act on it quickly and move in,” MacDonald said. They opened last August and started holding jazz and blues jam sessions, which have continued and are open to the public with people from high school to age 70 playing. In January they started adding open mikes, on the second Saturday of the month, bringing in featured artists usually from the Boston area. “Our audiences are just amazing,” MacDonald said. “Everyone seems to understand we are a listening room,” she said. Studio 99 isn’t a night club — if there’s a performance, people come to listen, not to talk and hang out with friends, she said. Miss Tess and the Bon Ton Parade performed Friday, April 17. Miss Tess was a winner of last year’s Boston Music Awards, MacDonald said. Ceaser photographed the band with Prindiville’s help before the performance. MacDonald said she tries to put everything going on on www.studio99nashua.com. Studio 99 has “flown under the radar for a while,” MacDonald said. But word seems to be getting out. They can seat 75 and have “a killer view of the river” and the city, she said. And the Picker Building has supportive neighbors. In June, MacDonald is working with Warm Stone Studios and Plastic Camera for a charity art sale. Proceeds will go to Nashua Habitat for Humanity. Warm Stone and Plastic Camera held one in 2006 to benefit the Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter, MacDonald said. This time they wanted to add a green component, and Habitat now builds green homes, MacDonald said. Wild Opal (www.wildopal.com), Polyworx (www.polywerx.com), River Art Studio (www.riverartstudios.com), Caliper Designs (www.caliperinc.com), Infinite Image Studios and Northern Sands (northern-sands-studio.net) are some of the other businesses in the Picker Building. #6 Mill Annex Suzanne Delle of Yellow Taxi Productions said her professional theater company looked for a venue for more than a year and came back to the first place they looked: #6 Mill Annex. She called it a little bit hip and a little bit rustic. Peter Bonnette of P.M. MacKay made it so “that a nonprofit organization can sustain itself here,” Delle said of their landlord. P.M. MacKay’s Mill-House Design Center is housed there (www.pmmackaygroup.com). Neighboring Nashua Community Music School keeps chairs for recitals and has been lending them to Yellow Taxi for audience seating during performances, Delle said. “We’re friendly with Gallery One because they’re right next door to us,” Delle said, although they haven’t collaborated on anything yet. Gallery One is the exhibit and class space used by the Nashua Area Artists Association (naaasite.org). YTP uses the building’s lobby area for a box office for shows. However, if anyone else is using the lobby, “we hear it,” Delle said. They let people know when they have scheduled performances in their black box venue, and try to be good neighbors, Delle said. Holding simultaneous events can also affect parking. Founded in 1984, the Nashua Community Music School had used a church’s space but moved to the Mill Annex in about 2006, said executive director Gillian Hinkle. Hinkle said it’s off the beaten path but convenient for repeat visitors who know where to find them. They now have about 250 students and about 20 faculty members. Student ages range between 3 and 70, although most are school age. They offer private and group lessons, a youth choir, a wind ensemble and summer music camps. Hinkle said that “a lot of these talented kids and adults” in Peacock Players, Actorsingers or local instrument ensembles study at the Nashua Community Music School. “The emphasis here is on enjoyment.... That’s why we call it playing music,” she said. Hinkle said they also work with Yellow Taxi by offering class discounts to each other’s patrons. The school has been involved in the Nashua Art Walk by providing music in the past and sometimes space for artists to hang their work. The #6 Mill Annex also houses The Dancer’s Loft (www.thedancersloft.com, 882-0415) and Ruth Boland Basketry (www.ruthbolandbasketry.com, 424-1234).
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Growing a district Manchester has had some ideas in mind for downtown redevelopment for some time. Plans and studies for the area surrounding the Verizon Wireless Arena include a nightlife and entertainment section called the Gaslight District. It’s bordered by Elm, Old Granite, West Auburn and Canal streets, said Jay Minkarah, Economic Development Director for Manchester. Documents about it pre-date Merchantsauto.com Stadium. “There’s a lot of things that we would like to see happen,” Minkarah said. They have streetscape improvements planned for sidewalks, lighting and landscaping. “With all of these types of projects, there are two parts,” Minkarah said. The public investment is mainly for infrastructure, and that’s intended to stimulate private development and investment, he said. There are various ways to redevelop a district — one way is for a private developer to come in and follow the city’s vision. This area has smaller property owners and is changing in a more organic way, Minkarah said. Minkarah said what’s happening in Ben Gamache’s building, Manchester Mills, is an example. The fact that there are more creative businesses there is part of the evolution, he said. It may not be nightlife (although a lot of the artists work in the evening — and there is nightlife there, in the form of Murphy’s Tap Room, W.B.’s and Verick’s) but “if you want to have a dynamic urban district, you want it to be mixed use,” Minkarah said. A variety of things could happen in Gaslight District buildings. Some lend themselves to retail or clubs. Upper floors might work as businesses or residences, he said. Next to West Auburn is Rockwell International’s property, which has a large parking lot. That tenant plans to leave, and it’s the preferred location for a possible commuter rail station, although that would not require the whole site, “by any means,” Minkarah said. The hope would be to integrate intermodal passenger rail there, Minkarah said. It would be a catalyst for redevelopment. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter’s office has an FY 2010 federal appropriations request for $10 million for improvements to the Gaslight District. Minkarah said that probably includes south Elm Street. Aspirations in Nashua His model is the Button Factory in Portsmouth. Its annual holiday open studios art sale “just goes so tremendously well,” Ceaser said. He acknowledged that it’s had about 20 years to grow. Jim Buttrick has focused on artist spaces at the Button Factory (where buttons were once manufactured) since he bought it in 1986. Dozens of artists now work there, he said. Some just want space dedicated to work that is not in their home. Others are there because they need a lot of space. Some need the natural light. Button Factory open studios are held the weekend after Thanksgiving, both days from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Back in Nashua, “A lot of people don’t know about the millyard in general,” Ceaser said, but he’s hoping Elise MacDonald brings more foot traffic to the Picker Building with musical performances at Studio 99. Ceaser thinks he was the only photographer when he moved in and now there are about eight. Primarily, he said, artists have heard about the building from word of mouth. If you build it… “We have two mill buildings. One of them, at this point, it’s all artists,” Peloren said — and that one is full. “The artists decided that they really liked the mill feel and the prices are the lowest in the area,” Peloren said. When they bought it in 2000, it was totally empty, and someone suggested that it would be good for an artist community. “We asked if there’s need,” Peloran said. Apparently, there was. They filled the first couple floors in eight months. Now more than 100 artists of all kinds work there. It’s on Salmon Falls River and has an “absolutely gorgeous view,” she said. There’s an open studios event in November, organized and advertised by tenants. Last fall about 2,800 people attended — the town has a population of about 2,700, Peloran said. There’s a waiting list for studio space. But wait, there’s more It’s hard to get an exact census of who’s working where, especially because these are work spaces for many people – they aren’t set up for visitors, and many are subletting or sharing. People and businesses come and go. They are “organic,” to use the Manchester Economic Development Office term, in that they are continually evolving. And for each artist or creative business tucked away in a century-old or older mill, there’s also a whole other story.
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