Friends of Western Avenue Studios, Inc. (FoWAS) is a non-profit corporation formed to promote the cultural enrichment and education of the public by:
Western Avenue Studios is a studio complex for working artists and tenant non-profits in a converted mill building located at 122 Western Avenue, Lowell, Massachusetts.
Currently owned and operated by BPV Lowell, LLC, the studio complex first opened on September 1, 2005 with 31 studios. The demand for affordable working space remained so high that the building now houses 143 studios with over 200 artists, a 100% occupancy rate, and an eager waiting list.
Since that first day in September of 2005, Western Avenue Studios has become an integral part of the cultural life in the city of Lowell and surrounding Merrimack Valley.
In addition to participating in the annual citywide Lowell Open Studios and holding monthly First Saturday Open Studios, Western Avenue Studios artists partner to offer numerous events throughout the year. The summer of 2009 marked the fourth year of the FREE Summer Art Program for middle school aged children. In 2009 Western Avenue Studios welcomed the Revolving Museum which provides educational programming to local high school aged artists, and the Miracle Providers NorthEast who support children infected/affected by HIV/ AIDS through performance-based fundraising. The Loading Dock Gallery, a cooperative gallery at Western Avenue Studios, comprised solely of tenant artists who are members of the Western Avenue Studios Artist Association also enriches the public experience in Lowell with monthly gallery shows and special events, all free to the public.
Western Avenue Studios is so much more than a richly historical mill building perched alongside the Pawtucket Canal – it is a dynamic community of working artists and non-profits bound to the common goal of the support and enhancement of life for all ages through the power and synergy of the arts!
The Western Avenue Studios Artist Association (WASAA) represents many of the tenants at Western Avenue Studios. The organization provides publicity, outreach, and group liability insurance for its members. WASAA also develops partnerships with other cultural institutions in the city. Membership by tenant artists in WASAA also provides the opportunity to join The Loading Dock Gallery, a cooperative gallery on the premises.
©2009 Friends of Western Avenue Studios, Inc., All Rights Reserved,
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