Music & art venue to close

2010-0129_department_of_safety.jpg

The Department of Safety, a haven for creativity in art and music, is closing its doors Saturday, Jan. 30 with a farewell celebration. The DoS has been there since 2002, in a building abandoned as a police and fire station in the mid-90's.

2010-0129_department_of_safety.jpg
(Photo by Azure)

The Department of Safety, a haven for creativity in art and music, is closing its doors Saturday, Jan. 30 with a farewell celebration. The DoS has been there since 2002, in a building abandoned as a police and fire station in the mid-90's.

Entertaining Saturday night are The Microphones, Lake, Karl Blau and Arrington DeDionyso. The event starts at 7:30 and they'd like a donation of $5.

An email from the DoS to friends says, "The past eight years with you have meant so much to us.  It's hard to find words to express the magnitude of it.  We are all incredibly grateful for what this building has brought into our lives and what it has created outside its concrete walls. Together with you, we made a magical place, always on the precipice."

The DoS manifesto says, "The idea of this unique space is to provide a place where artists can interact, inspire, critique, and give back to each other and the community-at-large by creating art."

Actually, it says a lot more than that, but creativity is, perhaps, at the center of what the Department of Safety has tried to do over the years. That, and a sense of community. It has been a place where artists could live and breathe their work. And, the public could enjoy their work. And, even jump in and share it.

The DoS has maintained an Artist in Residence program that gives artists a place to live and work for 3 months. The artist would exhibit his or her completed work at the end of the 3 months, either in the art gallery, the performance space or some other locale.

The email to friends this week included an admonition to our youth to get out there and get creative. "You have not missed your chance! Take that energy, get together with your ambitious, creative, project-oriented friends and make a thing!  Make it about ideas and lifestyle and make your own rules and create something good!"

They're advertising the 5,000 square foot building for lease at $1,600 per month. The description on craigslist says "Huge garage and office space…with host tower that can be seen for blocks."