We're Home!
September 22, 2011
The floors have been polished, the walls painted and art has been hung! Though we’re still settling in, LaFontsee Galleries on 833 Lake Drive is lookin’ good. You’ll find our home accessory boutique, frame design space, fine art collection and a variety of poster prints where just over a year ago there sat empty offices and medical exam rooms. The staff of LaFontsee Galleries worked hard to make this transformation possible & is eager to show off our overhauled digs! Come celebrate with us at our first exhibition opening in our new home on Thursday, October 27th from 5p – 9p. - see details
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Dumpsterville.
January 28, 2011
Work continues! With a month dominated by demolition and asbestos removal, it’s no wonder the property at 833 Lake Drive has earned itself a nickname — Dumpsterville.
Yes, we have a very large collection of dumpsters at the moment, each filled with an assortment of old materials crews have hauled out of the building. Ceiling tiles, flooring, old pipes — you name it, we have a dumpster for it.
At this point, we’re 80% done with demolition and, most importantly, asbestos free! The building was sealed for two weeks while crews safely removed asbestos, so you'll be able to breathe easy when we open in Spring/Summer!
So far, we’ve also removed:
- The dentist office!
- Over 3 miles of old electrical wiring
- Over 2.5 miles of old phone and data wiring
- 3,600 feet of pipes
- 44,000 square feet of ceiling tiles
- 4,790 square feet of flooring
- The old boiler
- All walls & ductwork
The space has really opened up, and the potential that Scott and Linda saw early on is becoming a bit more obvious. The future gallery and boutique spaces have transformed from a long hallway of tiny rooms to a large open area with high ceilings and rows of windows on either side. With so much taken out of the space, it’s getting easier to see what it’ll be like once we start filling it with artwork.
But until then … that's the news from Dumpsterville.
January 2011
Happy New Year! As many of you know, 2010 was one of our busiest years ever. We were honored to have been chosen to be the art consultant for the new Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, a beatiful state-of-the-art facility in downtown Grand Rapids built just for kids and their families. All of the artwork in the hopsital was created by children -- we had a wonderful time holding art-making events here at the gallery (meeting so many talented young artists!) and working with school groups, churches and community centers throughout Michigan. We are extremely proud to have been a part of this massive project.
From one big project to another! We announced in Fall 2010 that we had purchased the building at 833 Lake Drive in East Hills. That building was the location for the first ever SiteLab event, a temporary, site-specific art installation. The turnout was amazing, and it was great to see so many people in the new space.
And now, demolition has begun on the new building. Several walls have been torn down, the drop ceiling has been banished, and the space is starting to open up. All of this extra space means that art inventory and storage will increase by 100%. Our Urban Craft Boutique will get 40% bigger. Our framing manufacturing space will grow by 30%, allowing us to offer some exciting new products and services. Our on-site parking lot is massive ... plenty of room for parking and a great selection of outdoor sculpture. All big changes, all for the better! But don't worry, the best things about the gallery are staying the same. We're on track to make the big move sometime in Spring or early Summer of 2011.
the best things about the gallery are staying the same!
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