It exists!  Sort of.

I thought I’d read of the existence of something like this before, but couldn’t find a reference to anything like it during my cursory research in advance of my “Writer Mall” post.  But commenter Matthew Miller has brought to our attention the opportunity offered by ArtSpace at Crestwood Court in St. Louis.

What the hell is it?  Behold…

ArtSpace is an exciting new area in Crestwood Court (formerly Crestwood Mall) where artists and cultural groups perform, paint, dance, exhibit, hold classes and sell their art. When the mall was faced with vacant retail space due to a slow economy and planned redevelopment, management thought of a creative solution: make the space available to artists for a nominal fee.

So what about writers?  Can writers get a piece of this action and do things as I described here? (Note: Yes, they can…see update #2 below.)  Or do visual artists, as usual, get all the advantages (it’s so much easier to look at something than to read something, right)?  I’m going to find out.

Until I get an answer to that question, salivate with me over these details…

What are the sizes of the spaces?
Space sizes vary, starting from 1,200 square feet; the average space is about 5,000 square feet.

How much is the rent?
Rent is extremely reasonable - between $50 and $100 per month - and is based on the size and location of the space.

Where are the spaces located?
The majority of the spaces are on the east end of the mall, where Dillard’s was located and where several stores and Chevy’s Restaurant are still open. In the west end there are several spaces near the escalators to the food court, and also some kiosks in the middle of the mall.

5,000 square feet?  I don’t even know what that looks like.  $100 per month?  Hell, I’ll gladly pay $200 to get the Chevy’s overflow to come into my Writer Retail Space!

Meet me in St. Louis?  (Seriously, I’m ready to drop everything and go.)

And just in case this St. Louis thing doesn’t work out, I’ll happily take suggestions for the best places in the world for a writer to live.  Ideal locations must have a vibrant literary community, low cost-of-living and good Indian food.  Give me an excuse to leave New York City.

Update: I should mention that I really like St. Louis and wouldn’t mind moving down to the Twenty-Seventh City at all.  In fact, a pivotal scene in my novel The Day Is Here takes place with the two main characters standing on the Eads Bridge in the early morning light, gazing down at the solitary man performing some kind of ritual at the water’s edge.  Shouldn’t that qualify me for a fellowship at ArtSpace at Crestwood Court?

Update # 2: I’ve now received confirmation from Leisa Son, the Director of Marketing for Crestwood Court, that they actually do have one writer in residence at Crestwood Court right now!  They are actively encouraging collaboration among the artists and therefore would even welcome (my suggestion) a group of writers working together in a shared space.  At the very least, that solitary writer could use one other language-focused comrade in the mall (”Dude, can I borrow your dictionary?”).  Who is going to join him or her?

(Note:  This post was written from my sickbed, between fevers.  My brain is running at about 30% of full power, so if anything here seems a bit…off, please forgive me.)

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