Fire destroys Green Door Studios
Green Door Studios
A blaze that started in an adjacent building has destroyed the artists' studios in Kendal and all artwork - but the group has already been offered free use of two temporary spaces.
On 19 February, Green Door Studios in Kendal was destroyed by a blaze that started in an adjacent building and spread into the studios.
Paul Clark, Chair of Green Door Studios, has given an update on the situation: "All artwork, materials and equipment are either burnt, damaged by water and weather or just irretrievable as the building is considered unsafe and has not yet been able to be entered.
"Within hours, South Lakeland District Council's Arts & Events Officer Imelda Winters Lewis had contacted Kendal College and agreed a temporary free building from end of March untill mid-August to allows us to keep working. She also negotiated a regeneration grant for the artists to buy materials and has arranged for some furniture to be donated from the council buildings.
"Another offer of free temporary space for storage, studios and exhibitions for the next three months has been provided by the owner of Stavely Mill Yard, David Brockbank.
"Within the space of ten days, the studio group lost a building and found two temporary spaces. We are even on the trail of a permanent building in South Lakeland to keep Green Door Studios in business, but that is just an idea for the long term at present.
"We plan to hold regeneration fund raisers during the summer as part of the Green Door Rising project. It's amazing how the fire has generated so much energy both for people who want to support the studio group and within the group itself."
Paul Clark is writing a blog on the fire and the rising of Green Door Studios from the ashes at: www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/608734/0/1/asc
Paul can be contacted on tel: 07526 129336.
www.greendoorstudios.co.uk
www.paulclarkart.co.uk
www.outsideartists.co.uk
Location: North West, Kendal
Date posted: 7th March 2010
