http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/blog/morning-edition/2016/06/longtime-nightclub-entrepreneur-set-to-launch-arts.html?ana=fbk
Christy Frazier has spent 17 years opening nightclubs and bars, from The Pearl in Springfield to Birdies in Riverside, but now she's looking to create a new kind of development.
Frazier, along with partner Aislynn Thomas McDonald, plans to open Jacksonville School of the Arts in a series of three warehouses in Springfield near the intersection of 14th and Market streets. Frazier said the idea behind the concept, which she has wanted to do for years, is giving access to students who may not have the means to go to an art school, but want to either try their hand at something or get a more affordable education.
Three warehouses near the intersection of 14th and Market streets will be transformed into the Jacksonville School of Arts.
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Three warehouses near the intersection of 14th and Market streets will be transformed... more
CHRISTY FRAZIER
While local colleges, like Jacksonville University and University of North Florida, offer art classes, Frazier said the need exists for a new option where students aren't using most of their money to pay for tuition.
"The need is here – there isn't a place like this," Frazier said.
Frazier, an artist and muralist herself, said the school will offer classes ranging from ceramics to painting to photography, and will be open to many different age ranges. While the arts school would be appealing to artists who would be traditionally self-taught, like Frazier, she said she wants to eventually collaborate with Duval County Public Schools.
The arts school is set to encompass about 100,000 square feet of warehouse space, and Frazier said she hopes to open the first phase – which will encompass just one of the warehouses – in time to have summer art camps in 2017.
Now, Frazier is in the process of putting together a board of directors for the school, in addition to fundraising and planning the design and buildout.
She said the area of Springfield is ideal for the development because of its proximity to the urban core.
"The city needs it. The city is growing towards the river and Downtown. It will complement the other areas," Frazier said.
Frazier said the warehouses will also play into a larger arts district, which is being called Phoenix Arts District for now, with a number of galleries, private studios, restaurants and bars in close proximity.
Lovely! If things pan out, the development of that warehouse district into an arts community will be a huge boost for New Springfield.
Christy Frazier, the future of Jacksonville thanks you. Beyond economic stability, our growth will be a function of cultivating and celebrating art. This school could offer a great opportunity for the community and the evolution of the city.