BEVERLY — After facing bankruptcy and foreclosure at the end of 2008, the old mill building that once housed the Redbrick Arts Center has been empty for a year and a half.
On Saturday, however, with a new name and a renovated look, the Open Studios at Porter Mill will celebrate its grand opening and introduce its 25 artists to the public.
"It's an opportunity for all the artists here to open their doors," said Bea Modisett, 25, a graduate of Montserrat College of the Arts who now manages the Porter Mill studios and coordinated the grand opening on Saturday.
The event will provide the chance to speak to artists about their exhibited work and look at their workspaces and will also feature evening performances by a live band, SWAY. For Modisett, a painter with her own studio on the third floor, it is an opportunity to introduce the 95 Rantoul St. building and the studios to the public.
"I hope it attracts more people, like dancers or writers," Modisett said. "I'd love to see more diversity here in terms of medium."
Most of the 25 artists at Porter Mill studios do two-dimensional work — such as painting, photography, illustration and printmaking — but the new tenants of the four-story building also include a fiddle repairman, a ceramics worker and a barber. "I think hair-cutting is an art," Modisett said.
Real estate agent George Vernet of Salem bought the old Redbrick building after looking at it for two years.
"It is a unique property with a mixture of residential condominiums, artist studios and retail space," he said.
Instead of converting the studios into condominiums, Steve Archer, 59, owner of Keller Williams Realty in Beverly, persuaded Vernet to renovate the existing studios so artists in the area could enjoy a new space.
"George wasn't aware of how prominent the (Beverly) arts community was," Archer said. "But he's a smart businessman and saw that it would be a good move."
Archer — whose wife is a painter and had a studio in the Redbrick Arts Center before it closed — is a lifelong resident of Beverly and a trustee of Montserrat College of the Arts. He put Vernet in contact with Modisett to manage the building.
Many of the artists were attracted to the studios because of the space and location.
"Studio space is difficult to find on the North Shore," said Sandy Belock-Phippen, 60, an oil painter who had a studio at the former Redbrick Arts Center and has recently moved into Porter Mill.
When Redbrick closed, Belock-Phippen, who lives in Wenham, had to move her work to Boston.
"I'm very happy to be closer to home," she said.
Elisabeth Neville, 43, was in a similar situation.
"I had a studio space in Hyde Park, two hours away," she said, "and I was sharing the space with two other women. Here, I have my own space and windows, too!"
The new studios were originally set to open on May 1, but the move-in date had to be postponed in order to get the building fully functional again.
"A lot had changed in terms of building codes," Modisett said. "We've focused on getting it safe."
The 23 studios range in size and shape, and each one has between two and eight large windows. The building has a newly installed elevator and sprinkler system, and 15 more studios will be added this winter.
"The developer has really put a lot of resources and effort into making it work," Belock-Phippen said.
With a thriving community of artists in Beverly and the surrounding areas, the studios are attracting more and more local interest.
"It's exciting that there is something on the North Shore that is more than just painting the Gloucester fishermen," Neville said.
If You GO
What: Open Studios at Porter Mill,
When: Studios are open to the public from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., and live band performances will take place from 6 to 8 p.m.
How: RSVP on Facebook page or find more information at studiosatportermill.blogspot.com. The event is free of charge.
Raw Video: Hail Storm Batters Oklahoma City
California's Foie Gras Ban About to Begin
6-Year-Old Going to National Spelling Bee
Video Essay: Funky Winkerbean Comic Turns 40
On Thailand Trip, Suu Kyi Visits Migrants
Raw Video: Pink Diamond Auctioned for $17.4M
Hurricane Andrew Remembered, 20 Years Later
Sister Says She Reported Brother in Patz Killing
Patz Suspect's Sister: I Went to Police in 1980s
Diplomatic Expulsions Follow Fresh Syria Report
15 Dead in Northern Italy's 5.8-magnitude Quake
Witness Describes Fla. Face-chewing Attack
Man Falls Off Crane, Dies After Police Standoff
Russia Condemns Ally Syria Over Massacre of 108
Dairy Farm Uses Chiropractor to Help Cows
Unexpected Smog in Pristine National Parks
Air Canada Plane Makes Emergency Landing
New Ticks Spread Across Southeast, Diseases Rise
Bring Your Own Tech Programs Charge Up Students
Service Dogs Help Wash. Soldiers Battling PTSD
