Space 1026
website: space1026.com
location: 1026 Arch St., Philadelphia, PA
Does your space have a particular feeling, philosophy, or attitude? What kinds of things happen there?
Last year, we celebrated our tenth anniversary with a retrospective in our gallery entitled Do It Yourself with Other People. That statement is the most accurate representation of our group of thirty artists who are comfortable working independently or collaboratively. We have a gallery, a print shop, and two floors of studio space. The artists who work here range from painters
to video artists, sculptors to musicians. The work that is produced here is incredibly diverse.
What factors lead to choosing the space? How did you design it?
Initially, Space 1026 was going to be a t-shirt and skate company in addition to a live/work space. The way the story goes, or how it’s told at least, is that nothing that was planned actually happened, and Space followed its own path. Almost every day, we get a call asking if this is a skate park. We must still be listed that way in the phone book, and we have to explain that the half pipe was dismantled to build studio walls about nine years ago. The basic rule of thumb for how the physical space is used today goes something like this: “If you want something done, do it. If someone else doesn’t like it, they can un-do it.”
What sort of projects are in store for Space 1026?
We are preparing for our Annual Art Auction on December 12th. The auction is always a super exciting event for us, as well as our only solid money-generating event of the year. We solicit art donations from friends and auction them off with a live auctioneer. So far we have gotten artists such as Matt Leines, Joseph Hart, Eddie Martinez, and a bunch of others to donate. Anyone outside of Philadelphia can participate in our online auction that begins a week before, on December 5th.
Right now, we are also solidifying our 2009 gallery program. We have Andrew Schoultz and AJ Fosik collaborating on a show for January, the Hamburger Eyes kids coming sometime in the spring, and a bunch of other exciting stuff throughout the year. We really try to give artists the opportunity to show what they want outside of the constraints of a traditional commercial gallery. We encourage people to do ambitious things, with full creative license that is free of the constraints of having a certain number of “affordable” pieces for sale.
We also understand the financial struggles of emerging artists and are in the process of expanding our online store to help promote the artists that exhibit in our gallery. This store is continuously updated to offer the newest work from our members as well. It provides a perfect example of the diversity of art created at Space 1026.
What role does your space play in the community?
In addition to providing affordable studio space, we are always excited to bring artists to Philadelphia for monthly gallery shows. Our gallery often doubles as an event space with workshops, lectures, food shows, and drawing parties taking place amidst the installations. Basically, we strive to continue to be a creative force in the city. People that visit Space 1026 are inspired by our cooperative setting, which has been going for over ten years with no sign of slowing down.
What other places and spaces do you like?
The alternative art scene that has built up near Space 1026 is amazing. Copy Gallery, Vox
Populi, Asian Arts Initiative, Padlock Gallery, and most recently, Megawords provide some of the best work shown in the city, and they are only blocks away. Philadelphia is a very cooperative-centric city, with group-run venues like Bobo’s on 9th and Philadelphia Institute for Advanced Study, both being inspirational new spaces on the scene. It goes back to the idea of “doing it yourself with other people.” That really sums up Philadelphia.
Photos by Chad Kouri
Does your space have a particular feeling, philosophy, or attitude? What kinds of things happen there?
Last year, we celebrated our tenth anniversary with a retrospective in our gallery entitled Do It Yourself with Other People. That statement is the most accurate representation of our group of thirty artists who are comfortable working independently or collaboratively. We have a gallery, a print shop, and two floors of studio space. The artists who work here range from painters
to video artists, sculptors to musicians. The work that is produced here is incredibly diverse.
What factors lead to choosing the space? How did you design it?
Initially, Space 1026 was going to be a t-shirt and skate company in addition to a live/work space. The way the story goes, or how it’s told at least, is that nothing that was planned actually happened, and Space followed its own path. Almost every day, we get a call asking if this is a skate park. We must still be listed that way in the phone book, and we have to explain that the half pipe was dismantled to build studio walls about nine years ago. The basic rule of thumb for how the physical space is used today goes something like this: “If you want something done, do it. If someone else doesn’t like it, they can un-do it.”
What sort of projects are in store for Space 1026?
We are preparing for our Annual Art Auction on December 12th. The auction is always a super exciting event for us, as well as our only solid money-generating event of the year. We solicit art donations from friends and auction them off with a live auctioneer. So far we have gotten artists such as Matt Leines, Joseph Hart, Eddie Martinez, and a bunch of others to donate. Anyone outside of Philadelphia can participate in our online auction that begins a week before, on December 5th.
Right now, we are also solidifying our 2009 gallery program. We have Andrew Schoultz and AJ Fosik collaborating on a show for January, the Hamburger Eyes kids coming sometime in the spring, and a bunch of other exciting stuff throughout the year. We really try to give artists the opportunity to show what they want outside of the constraints of a traditional commercial gallery. We encourage people to do ambitious things, with full creative license that is free of the constraints of having a certain number of “affordable” pieces for sale.
We also understand the financial struggles of emerging artists and are in the process of expanding our online store to help promote the artists that exhibit in our gallery. This store is continuously updated to offer the newest work from our members as well. It provides a perfect example of the diversity of art created at Space 1026.
What role does your space play in the community?
In addition to providing affordable studio space, we are always excited to bring artists to Philadelphia for monthly gallery shows. Our gallery often doubles as an event space with workshops, lectures, food shows, and drawing parties taking place amidst the installations. Basically, we strive to continue to be a creative force in the city. People that visit Space 1026 are inspired by our cooperative setting, which has been going for over ten years with no sign of slowing down.
What other places and spaces do you like?
The alternative art scene that has built up near Space 1026 is amazing. Copy Gallery, Vox
Populi, Asian Arts Initiative, Padlock Gallery, and most recently, Megawords provide some of the best work shown in the city, and they are only blocks away. Philadelphia is a very cooperative-centric city, with group-run venues like Bobo’s on 9th and Philadelphia Institute for Advanced Study, both being inspirational new spaces on the scene. It goes back to the idea of “doing it yourself with other people.” That really sums up Philadelphia.
Photos by Chad Kouri
