MyARTS
The MyARTS project is an adaptive reuse of the 1940’s industrial building transformed into an after school arts program operated by the Prosecutor’s Office of Jackson County, Missouri. MyArts has become a haven for at risk teens from every corner of the Metro area, where youth can explore and express their creative abilities and identify possibilities for future careers in the arts. MyARTS offers apprenticeships in multiple disciplines, including photography, painting, graphic design, screen printing and ceramics. Previously located in downtown Kansas City, MO, the organization is moving to the former Oscar Maple Motors Building in Indepedence, Missouri – a historic, barrel vaulted, free span structure.
Davison Architecture + Urban Design was hired as the architect of record and design architect to renovate the existing building and is teamed with Susan Richards Johnson & Associates. The functional and efficient design features nodes of student activity, and offers their completed works to be displayed and for sale within a storefront retail space. An open-studio floor plan was created to maximize space around a centralized gallery with moveable wall further expanding the flexibility of use. A small entry plaza provides an area to showcase sculpture and act as a platform for public performance. The project aims to create a supportive environment to foster students and their teachers in the active pursuit of art within the community. Located a block from historic Independence Square, the building provides the public an opportunity to view artists at work and many opportunities to interact and share in the future of this exciting program.
