An old Catholic school in downtown ToHo'

has become the salvation of some Jewish artists.

munities. "Industrial decay is
the seed bed for artists," says
Ms. Treadwell. "Where else
are you going to get this kind
of warehouse space?"
Besides, the artists at St.
Fred's like the urban environ-
ment. Dale Sparage says most
of them are self-confessed
suburbanites who find the ci-
ty a source of grist for their
creative mills.
"There's a kind of rawness
here. It puts us in contact
with the other side of life. It's
food for thought. It's humbl-
ing," says painter Bertha
Cohen, who grew up in bustl-
ing, cosmopolitan Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil.
They also like the com-
munal approach. Having a

"There's a kind of
rawness here. It
puts us in contact
with the other side
of life. It's food for
thought. It's
humbling."

— Bertha Cohen

collection of artists' lofts in a
wide range of media means
they get to share ideas,
resources and tools, even
learn new skills, which allow
them to grow professionally.
The artists at St. Fred's are
a diverse group — not only
multi-media, but multi-ethnic
and internationally trained.
Painter Bertha Cohen is
Brazilian; ceramic artist
Tessa Stein and sculptor
Sylvia Perle are South
African. Dale Sparage, Linda
Golden and Ronni Feuer are
native Detroiters. They've
studied in Italy, Israel, Spain
and Canada. All of them have
exhibited or sold works across
the country.
According to these artists,
though, the amount and
quality of art being produced

Above:
Tessa Stein "throws" a
vase.
At left:
Her painting absorbs
Bertha Cohen's
attention.

in Detroit isn't matched by
the market here. Detroit is
still not perceived as a sizable,
important or sophisticated
arts market. There just aren't
enough shows, buyers or
underwriting.
Painter Sparage says once
she had an art gallery owner
tell her to show her work out-
side of Detroit, and then come
back. Says Linda Golden,
"Except for Paint Creek (an
arts center in Rochester) and
a few other places, I've shown
almost exclusively outside of
Detroit."
That's a source of frustra-
tion, but being a Detroit-
based artist is not as limiting
as it may have once been.
"It's very different from 25
years ago. To call yourself a
regional artist then was the
kiss of death," says Ms.
Golden. "You were either in
New York or you were no-
where. That's not true any-
more. You can have your work
handled in New York, L.A.,
Chicago or Switzerland. You
don't have to depend on
Detroit for that."
And while art purely for
art's sake is a wonderful in-
dulgence, it's nice to sell a
work now and then. Ms.
Golden and Ronni Feuer say
they earn their livings as ar-
tists, much of their income
generated by commissioned
works. The rest say they must
teach to support their artistic
endeavors.
A little public relations
doesn't hurt, either. Last
spring, the artists at St.
Fred's opened their studios to
the community, something
they plan to make an annual
event. Among those who at-
tended, wandering from
studio to studio, were several
graduates of St. Fred.'s
Ms. Sparage says they were
curious to see the transforma-
tion of their alma mater and
were pleased to know that
their old soul of a building
could be redeemed. 0

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

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