By
Graig Uhlin
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Third show continues to showcase UA talents
Despite financial difficulties, the student-run Carbonbase Gallery, in operation since September, is going "relatively well," said co-founder Joel Meltzer, a Pima Community College fine arts senior.
"When we initially thought of the idea (for the gallery), we had a whole list of things we wanted to do, and we've pretty much done most of them," said English senior Kate Street. "It's really gone the way we planned it to go. The gallery's been really successful and given us a name in the community."
Carbonbase, now exhibiting its third show, a joint exhibition between Carbonbase artist Wil Arbutina and visiting artist Roy Wasson Valle, was founded by a group of University of Arizona artists as well as Pima Community College students. The artists were looking for studio space and a venue to exhibit their own artwork, as well as the work of local artists and students.
The founders - which also include UA students Megan Aker, an art education senior, Albert Chamillard, a fine arts senior, Jaime Chandler, a Latin American studies senior, Lee Street, an art education senior - and newer group members Arbutina and UA fine arts alumnus Jay Hardin intended the gallery to be a place that would give exhibition space to artists who are not yet in the public spotlight.
"(Carbonbase features) people who aren't going to be seen elsewhere, that's the aim of the gallery," Aker said.
The success of the gallery has not come easily, and the group members say that they are working to keep the gallery open.
"We just had a meeting last week on how we can not shut the gallery down," Lee Street said.
Lee Street attributes the gallery's tentative future to "financial strains outside the gallery" - one member will soon be having a baby while others have moved into more expensive residences - as well as rent increases on the property.
The Carbonbase members, though, have ideas on how to garner the financial support and grants needed to keep the gallery up and running. The group is also considering establishing a sponsorship program where local businesses and community members would provide financial assistance to the gallery.
Although the group's expertise is not in fundraising, their desire to keep Carbonbase going, pushes them forward.
"We're not even sure how (the sponsorship) would work," Lee Street said. "We really want to keep the gallery open."
He said that he hopes the support and recognition the gallery has received from the community and through their exhibitions, will help the venue stay afloat.
"I guess what we're hoping is that (the recognition) will transfer over to a financial thing for us," Lee Street said.
The group is also looking into renting out a dark room on the property that Aker said "hasn't been used to its potential" as a personal studio.
If the group finds that they will not be able to keep Carbonbase open, its members have been considering other alternatives for the gallery space - alternatives that they would prefer to avoid.
"There has been talk of splitting the gallery into two studios and renting those out but we really don't want to do that," Kate Street said.
While Carbonbase's immediate future seems stable, the group members have given some thought to what will happen to the gallery/studio once their lease is up in a year and a half.
"We want to pass it on. It doesn't have to be Carbonbase," Chandler said.
Once the lease ends, the original members will move on to different things. Lee and Kate Street, for instance, are relocating to Flagstaff.
"It's going to dissolve in some way," Aker said. "We would very much like it to stay artist-run. We'll have to see where everything's at when the lease is up. Hopefully we can pass it on because we've put so much work into it."
Carbonbase's third exhibition runs until the end of the month. The gallery is located at 101 W. 5th St. and its hours are 6-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, or by appointment.
