Lowell Jacobs is bringing underground art to its original origins ' underground.
Jacobs is owner and founder of Union Arts, 15 W. Union St., a small independent gallery, which is approaching its one-year anniversary this spring.
I still consider us to be at the point of a very beginning right now
he said.
Jacobs, a former Ohio University student, moved back to Athens two years ago and soon accepted a position as the master electrician for the theater department. He then came across the empty space on Union Street underneath- he said.
Since its opening, Union Arts has hosted almost one major show per quarter, Lowell said. It recently featured the Biomodd exhibit, described as being a social and interactive art project that brings together ecology game culture and installation art
according to The Aesthetics Technology Lab's Web site.
The gallery has attracted several international artists, such as Biomodd creator Angelo Vermeulen and filmmaker Bill Daniel. Though Athens is a small town, it has the potential to attract metropolitan talent, Jacobs said.
It's fairly big city for a little city
he said of his gallery. I moved back here because I liked the little city
but it's really nice to have some of the big city variety in entertainment and expression and art.
Though the gallery is relatively small, it is available for work in any media and is available as a soundstage for the general public to rent. Film/video and audio equipment is also available to rent, according to the gallery's Web site.
Unlike other galleries, Union Arts is painted entirely black so that it may compliment a variety of aesthetics, Lowell said.
It lends itself to certain art really well
he said.
Morgan Riles, a senior film student in the Honors Tutorial College, is working on a documentary on the Biomodd exhibit and has worked closely with Jacobs. She agrees that the space is perfect for the type of art it exhibits.
With it also being underground G? that contributes a lot to the kind of work that's going to be shown here in the future
she said of its unique location.
Jacobs feels that it takes a collaborative effort to bring art to the people of Athens. Union Arts is his contribution to the environment in which he wishes to live.
If you live somewhere
you've got to make a decision about what you want and do your best to try and make it happen
he said.
His gallery holds its openings primarily on Tuesdays to coincide with the other openings around town to create the atmosphere of an opening night for art in Athens, he said.
I don't want compete with any (local) businesses
so in our mission statement G? we have a noncompetition clause
