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Show Sunday, July 24, 1983 Lifestyle ait fake idbuiK Section W 1 Page L. alley with Greenwich Village flavor By Tom Kullen, Kim Crandall and Jay Judy B. Rollins Aldous. Assistant Lifestyle Editor Bottmans, Call and Dallimore g, 70 Broken Windows When Mr. Littig moved in, there were 70 broken windows in his space, no power. The toilet did work. For each new occupant, theres work to be done to make the space usable. Steven Rosenblatt, a glass blower and for a while Littigs partner, turned him on to the space. When someone moves out now, Littig calls around to friends who need a studio. Those colleagues include Anne Quigley, potter, Tom Bottman, pot- ter, and Paris Bottman, ceramist, of Bottman Design; Carl Timm, furniture finisher of Vintage Arts, who shares space with Cerdelli, cabinetmaker and wood carver, Don McClaran, of Class VI kayak manufacturing, who shares space with Dimitrije Milovich of Winterstick Co., who makes surfboards for snow. Jean-Philip- t - Moving In r V: sv . j to r .i 1 ;!r Vi are separate. stained-glas- s artist, Willy Lit-tiMillcreek Glass Corp., started making his space and then working there in 1975. He's the unofficial leader of the operation. When he moved in, there were people using the space for paint storage, a fix-- it welding shop, some light manufacturing. After seven or eight years, people still drive down the lane with their lawn mowers in the trunks of their cars, to end up scratching their heads trying to figure out what happened to that welder guy. Just 'Vs'- -' ' worked in their basements. Others, like Quigley and McClaran, had to or wanted to move. Some tired of being in a body-sho- p area in a metal building by the railroad tracks far removed from the stimulation of the city. Though shop doors may be open, telephones shared, tools borrowed and lunch eaten together, businesses the beaten path. Finding it takes some doing, a tenacity to keep going. To wander that way has its benefits. The area, a line of brick warehouse-looking buildings and three separate brick structures with trees, some grass, has been taken over, literally, by artists, craftsmen and outdoor equipment entrepreneurs. Although the low cost of studio space is definitely of prime consideration, the pleasant environment and supportive attitude are a bonus. A tr Almost all have worked, bad studio space, elsewhere. Some, like the To say the alley has come a long way is, at best, an understatement. The area, 3474 S. 2300 East, is off In the and stage are Clint Call and Chris Dallimore, woodworkers of Calls Design; and Lone Peak Designs, a manufacturer of bicycle panniers (packs), Ski Patrol packs and safety gear, owned by ss Mr. Littig said when someone walk-i- n wanders down their way business is scarce and most rely on business referrals people cant help but look up from their work. In these financial hard times for artists, the spirit of support is nice. Raised His Rent Mr. Timm, who supports six children, said its good space for the money. He left the last place when they raised his rent. He enjoys the people and the quiet. The fact that his neighbors make their living by their skills encourages him to do a better job, to be more creative. In the summer, open doors are the air conditioning. The heat doesnt bother him. In the winter, even with feeding the scraps and g wood chips to the stove, its cold. For him, the ceilings mean more room. Sometimes, he takes what hes doing outside. Ms. Quigley said its nice to work around people who do the same kind of thing she does. But when she wants to, she can lock the doors on her two buildings and leave. She likes separating where she lives from where she works. I like to get up and go to work, she said. I require a separateness in my life. I think the tendency is that its hard to let go of the job anyway without living with it I dont want my work to be my leisure. I''? i ! f f . i v .pi o r'' tf V. Carl Timm, a furniture finisher, likes the quiet atmosphere, the supportive attitude wood-burnin- 24-fo- ot The nice thing about this place is you dont have to work alone. I wouldnt know what working alone is like, Ms. Quigley said. I have my own space and meter for electricity. To have three production potters working together is pretty unusual. The support's here. The hassle about isnt. These people are committed to what theyre doing. Theres a difference between making pots because it's neat to make pots and supporting a family. Ms. Quigley said she knows from her neighbors that her strong points are mixing bowls and teapots. They tend to ignore my other stuff. Its great to run across the street to show each other what weve just gotten. Tom and Paris do the same thing to me. There are other bonuses. When she asked Jean-Ph- il Cerdelli to borrow a saw to build the framework for a tile entryway, he built it for her. Theres the chance to learn so that Not Work Alone Her work area is two brick buildone for throwing, one for ings glazing and a showroom joined by a courtyard with two kilns. Although those buildings were pretty trashed out with no power and missing glass, she could see the) cedar and redwood under the mess. She worked several months; The landlord helped pay expenses. She and Tom Bottman twa desperate built the kilns. people 4, I Besides sharing interest, the artisans share their products. who used to hole W-- 1. , Mill-cree- work. See Page r k of the artistic community working in area. Hes supporting six children. much with these people. Tom and I had to learn about bricklaying to do the kiln. There are no limits to what these people can do. The Bottmans moved after five years working in their basement. Paris teases Tom that he tried to arrange their new space just the way it had been at home. They miss working at home, but prefer the mental isolation of a studio away. We used to work night and day just because it was there, Mr. Bottman said. "Now theres more room for the kids and for us at home. Theres good and bad to being here. Were committed to the space now. The problem is that people dont know were here. There is no walk-i- n trade. Ninety percent of our work is wholesaled out of state. But if we hadnt moved here, wed miss people like Willy and Anne. We want it to Paris Bottman, . Column 1 I ' Tt '4- 'j A fir's ISM1 ' It!- -: A) V -- i l um ' Artists, craftsmen, entrepreneurs turned area in Millcreek into a busy, productive - 3 iJV-v- f fuv fI X' dr community. Most have spent time, money fixing up their own working spaces, studio. zn xJ i) y ! f t- j i - f IV 4 i s , , Its important to , . w; Paris Bottman left security of a basement , workshop to move into studio with gallery. separate work, living space for production pot- - I I ter, Anne Quigley, who shared talents with others to build kiln. Tribune Staff Photos by Lynn B. Johnson J i j .M 11 t U vr; JXg't .a ? lliij, Area's organizer is Willy Littig, an early resident. |
