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It is one of the wonders of the modern age that today's aspiring artist can run his or her own company pretty much with a laptop and a cell-phone, and the occasional trip to Kinko's.

But Peter Haakon Thompson hopes that artists will choose to bring their laptops and phones to 

 to take advantage of its new program, the "

Intermedia Arts offers office space for artists looking for a place out of which to base their work. 

Thompson calls himself the "curator and host" of the ArtsHub. An artist himself, Thompson's work includes the "

a series of tents designed for creating conversations

. So he's naturally interested in the creative use of space to get people engaged and talking to one another.

Thompson says he sees the ArtsHub as an ideal place for freelancers or small performance companies who can't afford their own space.

Intermedia Arts lives in a large building, and owns a second smaller building just a short walk away. It's taken its surplus space and converted it into a series of desks and conference rooms.

People interested in using the office space have a choice of 

that give them access for a day, a week, a month, or more. They can take over a particular desk and leave their materials there, so they don't have to constantly haul them around.

Thompson says participants also get to attend a range of meet-ups, including something as casual as a round of table tennis, to Grant Jam Days, where people applying for the same grant can work on their applications together.

One of Thompson's favorite events is the "lunchtime skill share" when people take turns sharing what they know over their lunch break.

For Thompson, a sure sign that the ArtsHub is a success would be for a couple of people to meet each other at Intermedia Arts and end up working on a project together - something that wouldn't have existed otherwise.

The next open house for ArtsHub is Friday December 9.

Arts and Culture

State of the Arts Blog

Marianne Combs

Author

The Minneapolis arts center is offering up its office space and conference rooms to artists in need, with the hope that it will also help them find a supportive community.

Intermedia Arts creates hub for artists who need office space, community

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