Welcome to the Park Trades Center! Ingenuity at Work.
The Park Trades Center, located in downtown Kalamazoo Michigan, is a large creative community of artists, artisans, and entrepreneurs. Originally a manufacturing facility, this 140,000 square foot building houses 95 studios and accommodates over 60 artists and artisans. They work in mediums ranging from glass, printmaking, papermaking, metalsmithing, welding, drawing, ceramics, sculpture, woodworking, and woodcarving to photography, painting, textiles, serigraphy and beadworking. The building also houses a number of small business entrepreneurs. Additionally, the Park Trades Center is home to the Saniwax Gallery and has an 'Artists' Association', through which its resident artists collaborate and co-mingle (see "Saniwax Gallery" page). Studios may be leased throughout the year and are open to anyone with a creative spirit! For more information or to arrange an appointment to see available spaces, please visit the "Contact Us" page.
History
Edison and Curie and Firestone worked in buildings like this: high windows, sturdy wood floors, wide stairwells, old-style elevators, all enclosed in a fortress of brickwork. Four floors of hallways lead to artists' studios, artisans' workshops, retail spaces, offices, and small entrepreneurial businesses within the interior of this historic manufacturing space.
The Park Trades Center has stood in downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan for over 100 years. Originally a manufacturing facility for the Loose Leaf Binder Company, it was expanded because of growth in demand, doubled in size, doubled again, then grew an east wing. During the 1920s it became an unoccupied warehouse and production space was leased to other companies, whereby the seeds were sown for a building that could accommodate a variety of purposes. In 1950, the building was purchased by the nearby Saniwax Paper Company, which owned and occupied the facility directly north. Eight loading docks were added and a driveway between the buildings was closed creating an even larger, single structure. Later, it would be abandoned, marking its end as a useful industrial site and marking its beginning as a haven for creative people.
In 1982, a corporation purchased the property and established the Park Trades Center. Since then, artists and small business entrepreneurs have occupied the facility and have turned it into a creative community.
In 2002, the building residents united to create the Park Trades Art Studios Association where by these artists, artisans and arts organizations work together to actively encourage and support each other through a coordinated annual series of meetings, activities and events.
In 2004, the Park Trades Art Studios Association established the Saniwax Gallery, which has monthly exhibitions by emerging and established artists coupled with highlighting works by Association members.
Today, the Park Trades Center residents remain, creating in their studios. The building is open for art browsers Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm. However, before making a visit, please contact the artists through the Directory page as studios are open at various times and many only by appointment. The best time to visit the Park Trades Center is the first Friday of every month, when many artists have their doors open from 5:00-9:00pm, during Kalamazoo's Art Hops, which are sponsored by the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo (see listings on Events page).