Bohemians had the Left Bank. Andy Warhol had the Factory. Bloomington has the Art Hospital.\nWhen you step into the Hospital, you walk on the same floor scuffed from techno dance parties and metal-head moshing. Look to your left, and you might think you're stepping back three decades to your crazy aunt's time-warped attic -- complete with old Coke machines, street signs and fake fruit in a bowl. While at first glance, it might look like a strewn mess, everything in that room could potentially have its own role in an artistic masterpiece. \nThe Hospital, 1021 S. Walnut St., is a diversely functional facility for Bloomington artists to find solace within each of their methods of work. Founded in June, it is Bloomington's latest addition to the creative community. \nThe Hospital is a collaborative effort by local artists and musicians for gallery and performance space with minimal boundaries. The Hospital hosts work space for printmakers, sculptors, seamstresses, designers, filmmakers, musicians and painters. \n"There is no one direction of acts here," said Mark Rice, one of the Hospital's founders. "There's artist solidarity, with different tastes. Anybody who wants to can be part of it."\nThe Hospital is housed in the former warehouse of local record label Secretly Canadian. The main floor is split between the performance area, with gallery lighting against the walls, and the studio space. The two areas provide a multisensory experience for concert-goers to listen to bands play and DJs spin and be surrounded by original artwork.
Faces of the Hospital\nRice and business partner Aaron Deer are at the forefront of transforming the previous warehouse. The two are renaissance men with projects in various media. \nRice is a designer and printmaker. Both he and Deer are members of multiple bands, including the Impossible Shapes. Rice plays with the Coke Dares and nationally-heralded indie band Magnolia Electric Co. Deer formed the Horns of Happiness with Hospital sculptor and painter Shelley Harrison, one of 13 Hospital members. There's a recording studio in the basement of the building, which Rice said is mainly for him and the other band members to use for spontaneous spurts of inspiration. \nThe new establishment is a blank canvas for artists looking for studio space.\n"I like the idea of a lot of artists in one place," Harrison said. "It would be great to have more people work here." \nFilmmaker and editor Will Claytor said he's at the Hospital almost every night.\n"I needed space outside of home," he said. "It's nice having a studio to force yourself to work and be productive."\nWhen there are no concerts, Claytor is able to shoot on location at the Hospital. While working on a short comedy called "Live Ones," he filmed a "fantasy dream sequence with tons of weird lighting" using an in-house soundstage. \n"We couldn't have done that anywhere else in Bloomington," Claytor said.
Costs and rewards\nThe Hospital offers two different membership options. Select studio membership at $75 per month offers work space and the opportunity to book shows with other artists at the venue. Those not looking for studio space but interested in sponsoring events at the venue only pay $35 each month to be regular members. Members of the Hospital have power to vote for the kinds of events that will fill their calendar. \nThose who sponsor shows are in charge of all arrangements from start to finish. Booking a show is the first step. Sponsors have to do everything from turning on the lights to collecting money and especially helping promote, Rice said. \nThe Hospital's lineup is selected by its members to offer a diverse calendar filled with a motley set of acts, Rice said. Past shows range from Benchpress Burlesque, billed as multi-gendered, sex-positive performance art, and Fort Grunt, an event featuring a double lineup of punk bands performing in front of hyper-actively colored paintings. \n"(The members) have the liberty to have more interesting shows. Instead of the shit to just sell beer," said Rice, who sponsored Fort Grunt. \n"People usually come for the music, but then we force-feed them art," he added later.\nSound technician Drew Vandenberg, an IU junior, brought his friends and his mother to the Fort Grunt event. He even considered buying a painting because they were "relatively affordable for art."\nThe members are in the process of attaining nonprofit status. This would relieve the financial weight of building maintenance and utilities. Not to mention, Rice said, they could also "afford cool pieces" to show. \nFor now, the Hospital relies on member fees and ticket sales to continue offering a performance and gallery space to the community.\n"The collaboration between music and art is extremely important," Vandenberg said. "Bloomington was missing this type of creative community, giving cheap space to artists. And even if you're not 21, you can be here. Everyone likes going to shows"
