Oct
11
Fremont Abbey Arts Center
One of my first questions for Nathan Marion, Director of the Fremont Abbey was: What do they do? “We’re always continually figuring out better ways to say that,” he laughed, “because it’s definitely one of those unusual spaces where you kind of have to be here and interact with an event or class or experience to really get it.” As of October 2010, their website explains it by saying, “Fremont Abbey Arts Center is a vibrant community venue where people of all ages & incomes are supported in their artistic and social development through new collaborative arts experiences.”
What that translates into is a place for classes, neighborhood gatherings, art events and a strong overall sense of community interaction. During their monthly event “The Round”, for example, Nathan described, “There are musicians on stage together, collaborating and sharing the stage in a new way they’ve never done before, and there are live painters on the side and slam poets get up and perform as well.” Whether they include music, dance, visual or culinary arts, literature, or something completely avant-garde, Abbey events are rarely limited to a single discipline.
Audience interaction is an integral part of the organization. “It’s very much about educating and growing and developing all ages,” said Nathan, “and that being done through the arts and different arts interactions, not necessarily just viewing something. Even at art gallery shows we try to have people interact somewhere.” A Fremont Abbey event encourages the opposite of a silent theater – they want you to open your mouths and your minds, creating an opportunity for conversation with the person next to you.
“It came from the community, really,” Nathan continued. “Fremont obviously is an artistic neighborhood, so a number of people who are in the community, they wanted space and wanted a place to have things occur. The neighborhood plan for Fremont has always called for an arts-oriented community center. The idea has grown over the years, really, but the concept was just let’s provide a space for people to do good art in whatever form that might take within the context of a neighborhood like this.”
The gorgeous, almost one-hundred-year-old building, owned by the Church of the Apostles, went through extensive renovations from 2005-2008 to create the current interactive space – and The Abbey maintains a distinct, non-denominational presence. “They basically didn’t need the building for more than one day a week and so they said ‘Well, let’s have it be used by the community,” explained Nathan. “It’s a separate, non-profit, not religious organization. That was a really important distinction for me wanting to be involved because the community’s got to be able to own it and really want to be a part of it.”
True to its roots, The Abbey often hosts fundraisers for other organizations. “That’s another one of our niches, to support non-profits and to help them,” Nathan told us. “A young group maybe that’s starting up or a few years old, [we can] do a benefit, get the word out and raise money for their cause while working in a space that’s more flexible than a hotel or something that’s going to cost a lot of money.”
And, working on a tight budget themselves, the Fremont Abbey has turned to social media for a majority of their marketing. “We do that a lot – that’s our main promotion right now because we can’t afford anything else and it’s fairly effective I think,” said Nathan – and he’s not the only one who thinks so. “We actually won a web award from Seattle Weekly for our online presence!”
Check them out and see if you agree:
Fremont Abbey
4272 Fremont Ave N
Seattle, WA 98103
www.FremontAbbey.org
Facebook Fan Page: Fremont Abbey Arts Center
Facebook Profile: Fremont Abbey
Twitter: @FremontAbbey
Story by Auburn Scallon Photos by Amber Oman
