Art for art's sake

 

237 Collective on opening night

Welcome to the neighborhood! The 237 Collective has opened at 111 13th Street SE, near the Coe College campus at the edge of the Wellington Heights neighborhood. Owners Paxton Williams and Abby Long-Williams anticipate the space being used for art exhibits, sales of artwork and handmade clothing, and a "third place" style hangout.

Paxton Williams, whose artistic name is EBISU, kicked things off September 15 with a show called "Momentum."

 

Artist's statement

EBISU combined graffiti-style drawing with found objects. Where on earth was this one found?!

 The crowd on opening night was young and hip, at least when compared to your humble blogger.

Here's what the gallery looks like in daylight, in this more ordinary week. 

View from the front door

Additional artists' works are now displayed. There are thirteen artists in the collective, with two more immediate prospects.

The small (1800 square feet) building dates from 1920, and has been many things over the years, including vacant. It's been vacant a lot.

February 2022

It shares the lot with Cafe Allez, which is anticipated to open early in 2024 in the building occupied 2000-2020 by Brewed Awakenings Coffeehouse. Abby Long-Williams told Little Village that she hoped to spread the young entrepreneurial spirit from trendy neighborhoods like New Bo and Czech Village throughout the city.

Ideally they will be able to draw energy from the cafe, Coe College, and nearby churches and medical facilities. In any case, it's good to have such a creative and aesthetically pleasing venture nearby!

The gallery is open 11-5 Thursday, 11-6 Friday and Saturday, and 11-5 Sunday, with possibly additional hours in time. They plan a Parking Lot Market in October.

Mural on the alley side

SEE ALSO: Malcolm MacDougall, "237 Collective's New Hub for Local Fashion, Vendors and 'Underrepresented Artists' Opens in Cedar Rapids Friday," Little Village, 14 September 2023

Retro restroom, in the basement