For more than two decades, AS220 has been helping artists of all types and ages harness their creative ability and maximize their potential.
Later this year, the nonprofit organization will celebrate 25 years since it opened the first of what is now a three-building community on Empire Street, as well as a space for people to come together, collaborate, innovate, experiment and take risks.
“The benefits for someone working at our space is they get exposed to other people and what they are doing.They end up pushing each other to achieve new things.”
The organization now boasts multiple galleries that people can showcase their work for free in; a black box theatre for dance, music, fine art, installation art, video and new media work; a commercial printing press; 3D printing; a fabrication lab; a full restaurant and bar; a big youth program; plenty of classes and 48 apartments that artists can rent out.
“Our basic mission that we operate by is, we are here to provide access to any artist in Rhode Island, and we use the term artist pretty broadly; all people make art in any shape and form,” AS220 Communications Director David Dvorchak told Rhode Island Inno. “We are seeing different kinds of people I wouldn’t have seen so much in terms of diversity, whether its younger people, people of color or people from different economic backgrounds. Those people were always involved, but more so now.”
Artist, civic leader and cultural agitator Umberto Crenca, who believed no artist could survive and grow without the support of his or her peers and the public, founded AS220 in 1985. The entity now owns 100,000 square feet of space spread out in three buildings in downtown Providence.
The buildings represent a $25 million investment, serves over 5,000 artists and is a destination for upwards of 93,000 people, including a robust youth program that serves between 400 and 600 young artists every year.
But it has also proven itself to be a place that fosters the innovation economy.
In 2016, the Modern Device electronics store, an innovative small business in Providence that produces open hardware electronics, modules and kits, relocated to AS220 Labs. The move provided more resources to artists, designers, students and hobbyists working with microcontrollers and sharing their designs.
Many companies have also launched out of AS220.
Dvorchak said one woman used a laser cutter to set up a shop selling custom-designed jewelry. Another woman made her own jewelry display boards and devices.
“Both ran their business in our shop to the point that they got steady business and they were big enough to go out on their own,” said Dvorchak. “That is a big point of pride for us actually.”
Another example was a student who travelled to AS220 all the way from San Paolo, Brazil to take Fab Academy classes, where students learn how to use and apply the tools of a modern fabrication studio. This includes making and stuffing electronic boards, cutting on the CNC Shopbot, molding using a CNC milling machine and laser cutting.
In his final project submission, the student ended up creating a modular storage and inventory system for AS220’s FabLab.
The device, called Wally, had a small-part storage system that consisted of a matrix of drawers with LED lights and switches, a controller module with a keypad, LCD and other accessories that are connected in a network.
“The benefits for someone working at our space is they get exposed to other people and what they are doing,” said Dvorchak. “They end up pushing each other to achieve new things.”
AS220 will celebrate these accomplishments over its 25 year history during an anniversary ceremony, the date for which has not yet been announced.
Editor’s Note: AS220 was a 50 on Fire 2018 Inno Blazer in the nonprofit category. Read all about the awards here.
