Roderick Artspace Lofts

Across America, cities are discovering ways to tap into their local arts community to spur economic development, foster job creation, and create a greater, more unique sense of place. One of the pioneers in this work is Artspace, a non-profit organization that has developed arts facilities from coast-to-coast.

In partnership with the El Paso Community Foundation, the City of El Paso, Artspace has worked to transform what was a vacant lot at the corner of Oregon and Missouri in downtown El Paso into an arts destination animated by artists and creative businesses. This project provides much-needed space for vibrant local artists to complement the community's strong collection of municipally managed institutions, including El Paso's children's museum, art museum, history museum, science museum and theater. Although El Paso is a hotbed of creative activity, most of it occurs at the margins of our community. This project will bring a lively arts scene into the heart of downtown, and in the process help to rejuvenate a challenged neighborhood.

The artists are here. More than 400 local artists responded to a survey indicating their interest in an Artspace-style project providing access to permanently affordable, high quality space to live and work.

The  Roderick Artspace Lofts blends 51 affordable live/ work units for artists and their families with 5,000 square feet of multi-purpose nonprofit commercial space. A large community room on the ground floor will provide space for artists and community groups for meetings, events, exhibitions and performances.

The transformation of this site will begin with a beautiful new building, but the real and lasting change will be the energy and vitality that artists bring to downtown El Paso.