The local art community is breathing life back into a historical building.
The Vault Cultural Collective, which will be located in the old Standard Shoe Shop building in downtown Strathmore, will display local art, historical artifacts and inspire other artisans. They also
Carolyn Steeves, Chair of The Vault Cultural Collective board explained that the board is made up of seven different art organizations in the area, with members representing each organization.
"The owners of the building were wanting to do something new with their building. Ideas developed and the Town leased the building from the owners in November. The Town of Strathmore wanted to support local non-profit arts, cultural and historical groups so it was a perfect fit," she explained.
Steeves said that the board hopes to promote local artisans and entrepreneurs through meetings, displays and selling pieces at the building.
"We are also hoping to host cultural events inside and outside the building such as concerts and various entertainment events," Steeves continued. "We are also going to be housing a town of Strathmore and area tourist information centre and a boutique to sell artifacts, paintings, and consignment pieces as well. We are hoping to develop this all over time. We have only been meeting for 7 months so it is all in the developing stages."
The building will have 1 staff person to help run the building. They are hoping to have a soft opening in the late spring depending on the COVID-19 restrictions.
The name, The Vault Cultural Collective, originates back to the building's original purpose as a bank.
"There is the coolest night vault in the basement of the building, and there is day vault on the main floor. We hope to feature those two vaults maybe at Halloween. That is one of the reasons we wanted to name it The Vault, because of its history, and these two wonderful vaults."
Fri, May 3, 10:00 AM
