Members of the Albert Lea Art Center held a meeting on Sept. 9. I am not a member, hence, did not attend. My wife and I are quite new to Albert Lea, arriving here barely over three years ago. As a professional artist, I am offering my hopes and assistance as to how members orient their efforts in the future.

Only days after we arrived as citizens in this very pretty little city and gorgeous landscape, we witnessed a rupturing relationship between the fine members of the Albert Lea Art Center and the landlord of their then and current building. It is clearly an ongoing matter and very certainly one to continue as long as the members remain in that building. Some of those fine folks are not equipped in educational, technical and experiential background to create and operate a contemporary art center. Members with backgrounds in various areas of art are not being utilized to the fullest due to lack of space and continuing lack of cooperation.

Community art centers offer a range of studio activities open to all citizens, of both genders, across the age, race and ethnicity spectrum. The building the Albert Lea Art Center is currently in cannot, simply due to the lack of space. This will always be regardless of how much money is thrown into it. Having inadequate space for an elevator, activity is restricted to most people to only two small galleries on the main floor. Restoring that building would require heaps of thousands of dollars, ranging from at least $250,000 to maybe even $500,000. It would remain unsuited to being a viable art center, with only a couple of little galleries. Remaining there is unrealistic and absurd.

I have found it very disappointing, even weird, that folks continue on a quest with no apparent practical destination in mind, other than clinging to that particular building. If this is due to the composition of the board members, should they in part, or entirely, be replaced with other members, such as mostly people affiliated with the community college here as well as some folks who may have at least an undergraduate degree in art?

I hope the Albert Lea Art Center will find a new single story utitilitarian building with adequate space for various studio activities in several media and an exhibition gallery. I have experience in designing and building high-temperature reduction kilns, salt kilns, raku kilns, foundries for sand-cast aluminum, lost-wax waste-mould bronze casting, floor looms for weaving, and presses for intaglio printmaking. I would be very willing to help in those and other ways.

The Albert Lea area should be able to start a facility which in time could attract people nationally and internationally, much like the Haystack School of Arts & Crafts in Maine and Penland School of Arts & Crafts in North Carolina.

Rick Mammel

Albert Lea